


Hidden Truths

by froxyn



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-05-31
Updated: 2009-05-31
Packaged: 2017-10-08 21:27:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/79668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/froxyn/pseuds/froxyn





	1. Chapter 1

Title: Hidden Truths  
Author: Froxyn  
Rating: FRAO  
Pairing: Buffy/Giles  
Timeline: Post Series, AU.  
Synopsis: Buffy goes to England to see Giles after the near apocalypse that was diverted by Angel, Spike, and the others in Los Angeles. Will they admit their true feelings for one another?  
Author's Notes: Very special thanks to [wyvernwolf](http://wyvernwolf.livejournal.com) for spending a few weeks looking over each chapter and offering her suggestions on how to make it better.

 

Giles took a sip of his lukewarm tea, grimacing before he roughly placed the mug back onto the coaster on his desk. He sighed heavily, removing his glasses before dragging his hand across his face. The last two weeks had been rather horrible, though he hadn't known the full extent of the losses until two days ago.

Angel had called to break the news of Wesley's death. In fact, the only three of the team in Los Angeles to survive had been Angel, Illyria, and Spike. According to Angel, it had been an extremely close call…but somehow the three of them had been able to avert an apocalypse.

Giles found it strange to feel a deep sense of gratitude to the three, but he did. He wondered about Illyria, almost felt a sense of sympathy for her. She had developed a dependence on Wesley. Once the battle was over, she found it easier to just leave. Giles suspected that the Old One had actually fallen in love with Wesley. Neither Angel nor Spike knew where she had gone.

Now, Angel and Spike were in Alaska hunting down a tribe of demons that were feeding on the Eskimos. At least, that's what Angel had told Giles. Giles found it difficult to believe that the two vampires were willingly staying together. He briefly wondered if there was more to their relationship than he had originally been told but he pushed that thought to the back of his mind.

It wasn't his business. And, if he were honest with himself, he really didn't want to know.

Wesley…

Wesley's death had come as a shock to Giles. Wesley had changed drastically over the years, and not all for the better. Giles blamed Angel for that fact. But, Giles had been proud of Wesley. He had left the Council and hadn't looked back, not even when Quentin Travers had begged him to join forces with Buffy and himself once more.

Giles was secretly glad that Wesley had turned Travers down. Being a Watcher hadn't come naturally to Wesley…he wasn't bred into the role as Giles had been. But, he had more than made up for his past, Wesley had died trying to save the world…and Giles could only respect him for his efforts.

"Is that really a computer I see on your desk?"

Giles looked up quickly, his thoughts interrupted by a very familiar voice. A slow smile appeared on his face as he pushed his chair back and stood, walking around his desk.

"Willow has found it immensely amusing as well. I must admit, it does make keeping track of the Slayers much easier. However…if you repeat that to her, I will deny it with every fibre of my being."

Buffy chuckled and stepped further into his office, almost hesitantly. And then she looked into Giles' eyes and nearly ran into his arms. As she pressed her cheek against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her and sighed softly.

"Hello, Buffy."

"I know I didn't schedule an appointment…"

He chuckled and rubbed her back soothingly. "You are the only Slayer who doesn't require an appointment."

She stepped back and looked up at him. "Is that because I'm your favourite?"

"Yes." He answered without hesitation, before smiling and continuing. "And because of the fact that you wouldn't bother to make an appointment anyway. And if by some miracle you did make an appointment, you'd either be late or – "

"Funny, Giles." Her smile faded as she noticed the weariness in his eyes. "How are you?"

"In all honesty, I've been better." He cleared his throat and sat down on the edge of his desk. "But, then…I've been a hell of a lot worse. All in all, I'd say I'm fair. And you? When did you arrive in London?"

"I'm good…and I got in about an hour ago. I would've been here sooner, but I had to take care of some things before I could leave."

Giles nodded slowly. "And Dawn?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "In love…with Rome, with school, with…Marco. She sends her love and said to tell you that she misses you."

Giles swallowed and lowered his eyes for a brief moment. "It's been far too long since I've seen either of you."

"We talk every week." Buffy offered before exhaling slowly. "But, it's not the same. And Dawn isn't the only one who misses you, you know."

Giles looked back up and smiled. "I miss you too. Um…both of you."

A somewhat comfortable silence fell over them for a few minutes before Buffy spoke again.

"Listen, I know it's kinda early, but…since you're the big boss and all…how about we go for a drink and catch up?"

Giles nodded and pushed himself off the desk. "I think that sounds like the best idea I've heard all day."

Buffy smiled brightly and shifted the bag draped over her shoulder.

* * *

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously as Giles placed a glass in front of her. "What's this?"

He sat down across the table from her and took a sip from his glass. "Stout. And try it before you mock it."

Buffy raised an eyebrow as Giles pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket and shook one out. "You're allowed to smoke in bars in England?"

He smiled and reached into his pocket for a lighter. "This is a pub, not a bar. And if there are ashtrays on the tables, then you're free to smoke."

He tapped the glass tray with his lighter to prove his point. She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink, fully prepared to hate it. She murmured a sound of appreciation as he lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

She eyed him carefully and took another drink. "Why did you start smoking again?"

He grinned and tapped his ashes into the ashtray. "I never stopped, Buffy. I just don't smoke frequently." He gestured around the room with his free hand. "This…is one of my guilty pleasures. Of which, I have few, mind you."

When she saw Giles glance towards the bar, she followed his gaze and shook her head. "You come here often?"

"Hm?" He returned his eyes to hers and shrugged his shoulder. "Once a fortnight, maybe."

Buffy cast a quick glance back at the woman standing at the bar who was currently staring unabashedly at Giles. "Ever leave alone?"

Giles snorted and took another drag. "I leave alone more often than I leave with someone else."

Buffy waggled her eyebrows playfully. "But, you do leave with women sometimes?"

Giles stared at her for a second and then pointed at her glass with his cigarette. "Finish your drink, Buffy."

She grinned and lifted her glass to her lips, quickly swallowing half of the contents. Giles chuckled and motioned to the bartender for two more.

* * *

"You 'member the time Wes decided to re'range your books?" Buffy asked drunkenly.

Giles grinned broadly, nodding as he finished off his fourth drink. "He did that but once. Never again." He looked up as the bartender placed two more glasses on the table. "Ta."

Buffy leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "You sound more English when you're drunk."

Giles raised his glass in a silent toast and took another drink. Buffy shook her head in amusement, running her finger through the condensation on her glass.

"He was good, wasn't he? I mean…under the complete dorkiness…he was a good guy."

Giles' smile faded somewhat. "Yes. Yes, he was. A little misguided, perhaps. Pushed into doing something he really didn't want to do. But, yeah…he was good."

"I think Faith fucked 'im." Buffy blurted.

Giles' eyes widened and he choked on a mouthful of the ale that the bartender had brought this time. "Buffy!"

Buffy giggled and shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry. I do though. I really think she did. She said something one time 'bout Slayers gettin' down n' dirty with their Watchers." She tilted her head slightly and looked at him. "Wasn't her first Watcher a woman?"

"Mm-hm." Giles mumbled.

"Int'restin'. You reckon she had somethin' goin' on with her too?"

Giles cleared his throat and drained his glass. "I think…we should find something else to talk about."

"Do most Watchers have a more physical thing with their Slayers?" She asked, smiling drunkenly as she ran her finger up and down the side of the glass.

His eyes darted to her finger as he shrugged a shoulder. "I'm sure I've no idea. Some do, I suppose."

"We didn't."

Giles lit another cigarette, taking a drag as he shook his head. "No. No, we didn't."

Buffy leaned forward, grabbing Giles' lighter and spinning it on the table. "You were Faith's Watcher for a while."

"No. I was her Guardian for a brief time, not her…" He narrowed his eyes and tapped his ashes into the ashtray. "Are you really asking if I slept with Faith?"

Buffy pushed the lighter across the table and sat back up. "I dunno. Did ya?"

Giles stared at her, shaking his head as the smoke from the cigarette wound around his head. "No, I most certainly did not."

"She woulda fucked ya, ya know. Told me so herself." She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "Ya never thought 'bout it?"

Giles snorted and inhaled a lungful of smoke. "No. I prefer the women I share my bed with to be a little less homicidal."

Buffy glanced back at the bar, only to find another woman staring at Giles with a look of lust in her eyes. "You know her?"

"Hm? Who?" He turned his head and gave the woman a small smile before turning back to Buffy. "Knew her once."

Buffy grinned and propped her head up with her palm, resting her elbow on the scarred table top. "Is she one of the women you've left with before?"

He picked up his glass, scowling when he found it empty. He dropped it back onto the table and sighed heavily. "She is."

"Do ya wanna leave with her again?"

He shook his head, seriously considering ordering another drink. "I'm here with you, Buffy."

"And if ya weren't here with me?"

He caught the bartender's eye and motioned for two more stouts to be brought over. "I have a rule. If I leave here with someone, it's for one night. And one night only. I make that point very clear. I don't exchange phone numbers, I don't tell them where I work, I don't take them to my home, and I don't go to their homes."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Where do ya take 'em then?"

Giles chuckled, nodding a silent thank you to the bartender as he placed two glasses on the table. "Have you seen how many hotels there are around here?"

Buffy took a long sip of her beer. "Mm-hm."

"I get a room, we have sex…she either stays or goes afterwards. It doesn't matter which. It's not a relationship I'm looking for when I leave with someone."

"What is it then?"

Giles sighed and lifted his glass. "I can't believe I'm discussing this with you."

"Me either. Muss be the beer." She grinned as she took another drink. "So…what is it?"

"A night to forget what I do, who I am. It's a chance for me to be someone other than Rupert Giles, Head of the Council of Watchers, one-time Watcher to the most successful Slayer in all of history."

Buffy smiled warmly. "You'll always be my Watcher, Giles. Always…you're mine."

Giles crushed out his cigarette, dropping the butt into the ashtray as picked up his glass. He drained the contents quickly and took a deep breath.

"Perhaps…we should call it a night."

She nodded and finished off her own beer. "I hope you're not planning on walkin', 'cause…I'm not sure I can."

He laughed, pushing his chair back to stand up. "Too far to walk. That's why God invented taxis."

Buffy snorted as she stood, leaning against his side as he wrapped his arm around her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Giles hailed a taxi, smiling at Buffy as he held the door open for her. She climbed into the back seat and grinned back as he slid in next to her. When he gave the driver the address for the Council, she furrowed her brow.

"Why are we going there?"

"I assume you have some luggage of some sort that you stashed there before coming to my office?"

She chuckled softly. "Yeah. Is at the front desk. So…we get it an' then drop me off at one of these hotels – ".

She halted her sentence at his glare. "What?"

"I'll not have you staying at some hotel while you're in London. I have three guest rooms that are perfectly suitable for accommodating…guests."

"Ya sure? I mean, I don' mind…"

"Buffy…" He reached over and took her hand, gently squeezing it before letting go. "You are more than welcome to stay…for as long as you want…you know this."

The driver glanced at the couple through the rearview mirror. He grinned in amusement as he navigated the still busy streets.

Buffy smiled at Giles and gave him a nod. "Okay. Thanks!"

Giles returned her smile and settled back against the seat.

* * *

Giles unlocked the door and pushed it open for Buffy. Picking up the two bags, he followed her inside and kicked the door shut. When she looked up at him, he gestured towards the hall with a tilt of his head.

"Your room is the first on the right. Bathroom is third on the left."

He chuckled as she took off down the hall, bypassing the room that she would be staying in. He placed her bags in the bedroom before making his way to the kitchen. He normally had tea when he came home and he didn't see why tonight should be any different.

He smiled as he pulled a canister of freshly ground coffee from the cabinet. Buffy would drink tea if she had to, but he knew that she always preferred coffee. He flipped the switch on the kettle and prepared the plunger, adding an extra scoop of coffee grounds. She liked hers a little on the strong side, from what he remembered.

As the water boiled, he grabbed two mugs from the mug rack and leaned against the counter. It was nice having Buffy in his home. He'd missed her…more than she would ever know.

He made a silent vow to spend more time with her. It wouldn't hurt for him to make a few trips to Rome and he could afford to spend a little more money on international phone calls. He enjoyed being able to sit down with her and talk like they'd done today. Just talk…not about demons or apocalypses or Hellmouths, but just normal conversation between two friends.

He chuckled softly. He wasn't sure if he'd classify Buffy asking if he'd ever had sex with Faith as normal conversation…but for them, it very well might be.

The kettle clicked off and he grabbed it, carefully pouring the water into the plunger. He heard the distinct sound of water running through the pipes as he slid the fingers of his right hand through the handles of both mugs. He smiled and picked up the plunger.

It really was nice to have Buffy around.

* * *

Just as Giles placed the plunger and mugs on the coffee table and sat down on the couch, Buffy walked into the living room. She grinned and plopped down next to him.

"You made coffee for me?"

"Mm-hm. You still drink it black, yes?"

She nodded and leaned forward, pushing the plunger down a little. The movement caused the shoulder of her blouse to slip to the side and Giles' eyes were immediately drawn to the jagged scar that was revealed. He reached out and pulled her back towards him, nearly making her spill the coffee.

"Giles!"

He lightly traced the scar with his fingertip. The cut would have been rather deep for it to have scarred this badly.

"What happened?" He asked softly.

"Oh…that's what happens when you crawl under a barbed wire fence when you're running from a demon."

He traced the raised flesh again. "Wouldn't it have been better to jump _over_ instead of crawling under?"

She laughed gently. "A _twelve-foot high_ barbed-wire fence, Giles."

"Oh." He studied the scar carefully, his finger lightly grazing it. "I…didn't know about this."

She sighed as he pushed her blouse further to the side, examining the full length of the scar. "You can't always be there to kiss my bumps and bruises away, Giles."

He wasn't sure what possessed him to do so, but he leaned forward and gently brushed his lips across the marred flesh. His warm breath ghosted across her skin as his lips touched each centimetre of the scar. She shuddered lightly and turned her head towards him as he lifted his lips from her skin.

"I actually meant that figuratively." She whispered huskily.

He stared into her eyes as she turned her body to face him. His gaze quickly darted to her lips before returning to her eyes, noticing that they had darkened slightly. He leaned forward slowly, giving her plenty of time to stop him, but making no effort to disguise what he was planning to do.

Instead of moving away, Buffy met him halfway. Their lips met in the sweetest of kisses. He saw a flicker of hunger in her eyes and repeated the action, allowing his lips to linger this time. After the third kiss, he pulled back and whispered her name.

She responded by covering his mouth with hers in a kiss that quickly escalated into something more carnal than passionate. He groaned and slid his hand into her hair as he plundered her mouth with his tongue.

The coffee was forgotten as Buffy climbed on top of him, straddling him as she started pulling at the buttons of his shirt. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard a voice screaming at him to stop. But, as she pushed his shirt open and broke the kiss, staring into his eyes before lowering her mouth to his chest, he tuned the voice out and allowed himself to feel.

* * *

As he sucked a distended nipple into his mouth, it occurred to him that he couldn't remember how they had gotten into his bedroom. He supposed that he had carried her, her legs wrapped around him as she kissed him desperately. He couldn't be sure, but that's what he chose to believe.

He couldn't even be sure of how their clothes came to be strewn across his bedroom floor. Did they undress one another or just merely rip the garments from their bodies before falling onto the bed together?

When he heard her moan his name, he decided it didn't matter. His hands roamed over her bare skin as he suckled at her breast. As he slipped his leg between hers and felt her wet heat against his thigh, he groaned against her skin. She gasped sharply at the contact, immediately grinding her hips against him.

He felt her fingers in his hair, her nails scratching at his scalp as he nibbled at her nipple before moving to the other one and giving it the same treatment. When her hand found his erection, her fingers wrapping around the hot flesh, he lifted his head and growled, his hips thrusting of their own accord.

He looked down at her, her skin pink from arousal, and moved until he was kneeling between her spread thighs. Her hand tightened around his cock, stroking him firmly as she stared into his lust-darkened eyes.

"You really need to fuck me now, Giles…" She panted as his hands steadily crept up her torso.

His hands stopped their motion and he stared at her, her words shocking him somewhat. He swallowed and covered the hand stroking him with his.

"Then you should stop that."

She grinned at him as he removed her hand and leaned over her. Turning her head to the right, she bared her neck to him. He sighed softly as he lowered his mouth to her neck, his erection grasped firmly in his hand as he guided it to her entrance.

He pushed the head in, not going any further as he sucked and licked at her tender flesh. He gripped her hip tightly, keeping her from arching towards him in an attempt to force him further inside. Her nails clawed at his back and when she whimpered his name, he chuckled and pushed himself up.

"You…should work on your patience."

She glared at him through glazed eyes. "You should work on fucking me instead of teasing me."

He started to say how beautiful she looked, but bit his tongue instead. That wasn't what she wanted to hear. With a slow nod, he moved his hands under her knees and raised her hips slightly. He took a deep breath and slammed his hips forward, burying himself within her in one swift thrust.

She cried out as he drew his hips back and he briefly wondered if he had hurt her. That thought was put to ease as her voice rang out in the room.

"Yes! God…yes!"

And so, he thrust into her again just as hard and she lifted her hips as much as she could to meet him. He closed his eyes for a moment, relishing the sensation of her heat surrounding him as he moved at a steady pace with long strokes.

When he felt her nails scrape across his chest and heard her urgent plea for 'more', he shortened his strokes and increased his pace. He let go of her legs, groaning as she wrapped them around his hips.

His left hand found its way to her right breast, gently squeezing the firm flesh. "Is this what you want, Buffy?"

"Yes…Giles, yes…" She licked her lips and met his eyes. "Kiss me…fuck my mouth…"

He growled at her words and leaned over her, whispering thickly as he lowered her mouth to hers. "Such language from such a lovely young woman…"

Any reply she was going to give was cut short as he plunged his tongue into her mouth, complying with her demand. He stroked her tongue with his, thrusting rhythmically into her mouth as he brought her closer to orgasm.

When he felt her inner walls begin to spasm around him, he broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. "Come for me…I'm so close, Buffy…come for me…"

She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down, latching her mouth onto the side of his neck. He lost his rhythm for a moment as she sucked hard at his skin.

"Christ, Buffy…" He moaned as his fingers rolled her sensitive nipple. "Please, Buffy…come. Let me feel you…let go…"

Her fingers clenched against his neck as her orgasm crashed over her. She removed her mouth from his neck, screaming his name as he continued pounding into her. Her voice rang in his ears, driving him closer to his own climax as he felt her inner muscles convulse once more.

"God…again! Yes, Giles! Don't…don't stop…"

He grunted and pushed himself up over her, his hands on either side of her shoulders as he supported his weight. "Buffy…"

She screamed again and this time he was able to watch her as she came. Her body glistening with sweat as she thrashed beneath him…he was sure he had never seen anything as beautiful.

With that thought in mind, he groaned and called her name as his muscles tensed and he came deep within her. His head swam, he wasn't sure if it was from the alcohol he had consumed or the rush of adrenaline that coursed through him.

He swayed and then collapsed onto the mattress next to her, breathing heavily as she gasped for air. She turned her head to look at him, her body too exhausted to move.

"You…okay?"

"Mm-hm…dizzy." He reached over and pulled her closer to him. "But, I'm okay. You?"

She licked her dry lips and took a deep breath. "Yeah…God, that was intense…"

"Mm…" He mumbled, the combination of alcohol and his release quickly overtaking him.

A small smile played at her lips as she watched his eyes close. Stopping herself from brushing a lock of hair back from his forehead, she swallowed and whispered softly.

"I…should go to my room…"

He didn't open his eyes, but tightened his hold on her as he answered in a hoarse voice. "No. Stay."

She furrowed her brow, confused at his response but nodded as his arm loosened on her. "Okay."

It wasn't long before exhaustion began to take its toll on her as well. She watched him as he fell into a deep sleep before closing her own eyes.

Tomorrow would be awkward…but maybe she could make it a little less awkward for him.


	2. Chapter 2

Buffy woke with a dull ache in her head. She opened her eyes and bit her lip as the memories came flooding back. She was lying on her side, her back to him. His arm was resting lightly over her hip...his breath warm against her skin as he continued to sleep.

She carefully shifted, grimacing and realizing that her head wasn't the only thing that ached. She slipped out from under his arm and the blankets and climbed from the bed. He mumbled incoherently and rolled onto his stomach. The scratches along his back were standing out in stark contrast to the paleness of his skin.

She felt the tears begin to well in her eyes, and rushed from the room before she could make any noise that might wake him. She ran into the room that she should have slept in and grabbed a change of clothes from one of the bags.

Looking across the hall, into the room where she had spent the night, a tear fell from her eye.

If she was quick about it, she could grab a shower and leave for the day before he woke up.

* * *

Giles groaned as he rolled over and opened his eyes. He closed them just as quickly when he smelled her on his skin as he rubbed his face. He swallowed and turned his head, not really surprised to find that she was not lying next to him.

God knows what had gone through her head when she woke up. Just as he started berating himself for his lack of control when it came to Buffy, he heard a metallic clink coming from the kitchen.

He quickly climbed out of bed and grabbed a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt from his dresser.

If she were still here, then she more than likely didn't hate him.

* * *

Buffy turned from the sink to find Giles standing in the kitchen doorway. She lowered her eyes quickly and ran a hand through her damp hair.

"Um…hi."

"Hello." He replied softly, taking quick note of the fact that she was dressed. "Were, uh…were you leaving?"

"Yeah." She looked back up and plastered a fake smile on her face. "Thought I'd do some catching up with Will today."

He nodded slowly, realizing that she was nervous and that her smile wasn't genuine. "Buffy…"

"Don't." She whispered and then cleared her throat. "Let's not make this any more awkward than it needs to be, okay?"

"Shouldn't we…talk?" He took a step forward and rubbed the side of his neck. "I…"

He trailed off, his eyes filling with concern when he saw her grimace when she moved. "Did I…are you hurt?"

She met his eyes quickly and shook her head. "No. Well, I'm sore, but…you didn't…I'm okay, Giles."

When his concern didn't fade, she sighed and leaned against the counter. "I don't want this to come between us."

He leaned his shoulder against the refrigerator and took a deep breath. "Nor do I."

"We had sex." She looked down at her hands and bit her lip. "Great sex…"

He felt his hopes rise and he swallowed, but his hopes sank as she continued.

"But, it was sex. I mean…we're both adults who had too much to drink and fell into bed as some friends do. It happens sometimes and sex between friends can be beneficial to certain needs…sometimes."

She looked up slowly when he didn't respond. He hadn't moved, but she thought she saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes.

"Right?" She whispered nervously.

He stared at her, knowing that he should tell her that it was more. Yes, it was great sex…but, it was more than just that. It was…

He cleared his throat and gave a small nod. "Right."

Buffy exhaled deeply and pushed off the counter. "So, we're good, yeah? I mean…no weirdness or anything?"

"No weirdness." He offered quietly.

She stood there for a moment and then moved forward. "Good. Because…you're my Watcher and if there's weirdness, it could mean bad things later…"

He offered her a smile and stood up straight. "Tell Willow I said 'hello'."

She returned his smile and moved past him. "Okay. Um…see you tonight?"

"Of course." He replied simply.

With no other words spoken, she grabbed her bag and walked out of the kitchen. He walked over to the kettle and turned it on, inhaling shakily as he reached for a mug.

When he heard the front door close, he felt his heart crack.

What he didn't know was that Buffy had barely been able to make it outside before her tears began to fall. And he didn't know that she had stopped just down the street, looking back at the house before dropping onto a low stone wall and sobbing her heart out.

* * *

Giles was lying on his couch staring at the ceiling, wondering if he should have made her talk about it. What they had done…could it really be classified as making love? He had made love to her, granted it had been frenzied…but, it had been love. And judging from her reaction this morning…he should have demanded that they talk.

He sighed heavily and shook his head. No…Buffy didn't take being made to do something very well. If he had forced her, it probably would have made the situation much worse. Though, he wasn't sure how much worse it could get considering how his heart was aching at the moment.

He sat up and ran his hand over his face. Hangovers were getting harder to deal with as he got older. But, he wasn't exactly sure if it was only a hangover that was making him feel so incredibly horrible. He was tired as well, there was no doubt about it. Deciding that it wouldn't be that bad of an idea to go to bed for an hour or so, he stood before frowning.

Maybe one of the guest rooms would be a better option for the moment. He was sure her scent was still lingering in his room, in his sheets…yes, one of the guest rooms would have to do for the moment.

As he started down the hall, the doorbell rang. He cursed softly and turned back around. His heart hoped that Buffy had returned wanting to talk. His mind wouldn't allow for such hopefulness though, insisting that it was probably some door-to-door salesman wanting to demonstrate the latest technology in vacuum cleaners or some such nonsense.

He opened the door and narrowed his eyes slightly at the person standing there. "Ethan, what are you doing here?"

"Just came to talk." Ethan glanced at the darkening mark on Giles' neck. "But…if you're busy, I can always come back later."

Giles snorted and stepped back from the door, silently inviting him in. "There was a time when you'd have said something about joining in."

Ethan grinned and closed the door behind him. "That was before I was made to see the evilness of my ways and changed into the man who now stands before you."

Giles rolled his eyes before leading Ethan into the living room. "How is Willow?"

"Good. She asked me to invite you over for dinner…said something about not seeing you as often as she probably should."

"Mm." Giles mumbled absently and lowered himself into one of the chairs.

Ethan sat down on the couch and smiled as he gestured towards Giles' neck. "So…blonde, brunette, or red?"

"Ethan…"

"Oh, come on, Rupert. There was a time you would tell me everything about a woman you'd slept with."

Giles rubbed the side of his neck and shook his head. "And that was a lifetime ago, Ethan."

Ethan sighed in disappointment and sat back against the cushions. "Well, she must've been good for you to let her leave a mark that size on you."

Giles lowered his eyes, but didn't offer any information. Ethan rolled his eyes and stared at his friend.

"You know, for someone who looks as though he'd been fucked within an inch of his life, you seem…maudlin, more so than usual. What gives?"

"I really don't want to talk about it, Ethan."

Ethan's mind started racing, taking in Giles' appearance, his current emotional state, what he wasn't saying. Pieces started clicking together and Ethan decided to push…just a tiny bit.

"So…where's Buffy staying while she's in London?"

Giles' head shot up. "What?"

The final piece clicked into place, making Ethan smile triumphantly. "You shagged your Slayer…"

Giles narrowed his eyes. "Quite a leap you just took there, Ethan."

Ethan crossed his arms over his chest and beamed proudly. "Tell me I'm wrong."

"I…you…" Giles sighed and lowered his eyes once more. "Ethan, please…"

Ethan's smile faded and he regarded his friend carefully. "What happened, Rupert?"

Hearing the concern in Ethan's voice, Giles sighed and shook his head. "You have it all figured out."

"No. No, I don't. Because in my version, you'd be all aglow with happiness…not moping around your house alone. Talk to me."

Giles dragged his hand through his hair, wanting nothing more than to just go to bed for a while. But he knew that Ethan was concerned and that he truly wanted to help. He took a deep breath, but refused to meet Ethan's eyes.

"We had a bit too much to drink last night. We were talking…and for some reason, I kissed her. The next thing I knew, we were in the bed. We…" He closed his eyes and swallowed before continuing. "We had sex and now she's gone to spend the day with your girlfriend."

"You 'had sex'. Rupert…this is Buffy you're talking about." He tilted his head and watched as Giles opened his eyes and stared at the floor. "You didn't tell her."

"There was nothing to tell, Ethan."

"Nothing except for the fact that you're in love with her and have been for years." Ethan blew out an exasperated breath. "Why couldn't you tell her?"

Giles raised his head and stared into Ethan's eyes. "Because we're both adults who had too much to drink and fell into bed as some friends do. It happens sometimes and sex between friends can be beneficial to certain needs…sometimes."

Ethan furrowed his brow. "That's what you think?"

Giles shook his head sadly. "Not my words, Ethan. Buffy's…verbatim. It was just a drunken one-night stand…nothing more."

"You should've – "

"Told her?" Giles huffed softly. "And I'm sure that would have gone just swimmingly. Besides, she knows I love her. She knows…I'd give my life for her."

Ethan exhaled slowly, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "Does she know that you'd give your life for her out of love? Or does she believe you'd do it because it's your duty as her Watcher?"

"Does it really matter?" Giles whispered softly.

"Yeah, mate. It does."

After a few minutes of silence, Ethan sighed. "What are you thinking?"

"I made love to her. She fucked me, screamed my name as she…" He cleared his throat and shook his head. "And I loved her. And all I have are the drunken memories and a bruise on my neck…both of which will fade with time. It was merely sex to her…and still, my heart can't let go."

"Rupert…"

Giles raised his glistening eyes. "She used me for physical gratification. And, God help me…I think I love her even more."

"Listen, Willow can talk to her…see if – "

Giles interrupted quickly, his eyes widening. "No! Ethan, this has to stay between us. Please…Willow can't know. If she knows, she'll try to help…and…please, just say nothing to Willow about this. I'm begging you, Ethan."

It had been years since Ethan had heard such conviction in Giles' tone. And because of that, he nodded slowly.

"Okay. But, think about telling Buffy what you feel. You just might be surprised, you know."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Later that night, Giles was reading when the front door opened. He looked up to see Buffy coming in. She caught his eye, smiling shyly as she stepped inside.

"Hey."

"Buffy. Hello. What…um…would you care for a cup of tea?"

She nodded slowly as she shrugged out of her damp jacket. "That'd be great, Giles. Thanks."

Without another word, he turned and made his way into the kitchen. She took a deep breath and followed him.

"So…does it always rain in England? Or only when I'm here?"

Giles chuckled softly as he pulled two mugs down from the cabinet. "It doesn't always rain, but…it does often."

"English people are weird."

He stared at her in confusion as he pulled the carton of milk out of the refrigerator. "I'm sure that has some sort of relevance to this conversation…in some manner."

She hopped onto the counter and smiled. "Well, yeah. Back in the day, the prisoners of England were sent to Australia…right?"

He turned the kettle on and gave a slight nod. "Back in the day, yes."

"So…the prisoners…murderers, thieves, whatever…they get to live in sunny Australia while the good people stay in rainy, grey England. Why not just leave England for the prisoners and the hard-working, law-abiding English people move to Australia? If that had happened, I'd be nice and toasty in the Australian sun, probably sunbathing on a beach, instead of being all damp and chilly here."

Giles chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "And then I'd be Australian and not English. Besides, I enjoy the weather here. It was something I missed greatly when I was in Sunnydale."

"Yeah… 'cause you're weird. Remember what I said earlier? English people are weird."

"And Americans are so very normal." He shot back good-naturedly.

"No." She replied quietly. "No…we're not normal."

Hearing the sadness in her voice, he moved to stand in front of her. "What's wrong, Buffy? Was your day with Willow not enjoyable?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon."

"Yes, I know." He answered softly.

"We had sex." She blurted out.

He closed his eyes and lowered his head. _Now_ she wanted to talk? He was collecting his thoughts when he felt her hand on his chest. His eyes flew open when he felt her lips on his.

He took a step back and stared at her. Reaching out and grabbing the front of his shirt to keep him from moving even further away, she swallowed nervously.

"I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon." She repeated softly.

"Buffy…"

"No one has ever made me feel so wanted…so…needed."

"We can't…_I_ can't…"

"No one has ever made me crave their touch."

He felt his heart race in his chest. "Crave?"

"It makes me wonder if it was the alcohol."

His hopes began to sink. "Oh."

She slid off the counter and took a shaky breath. "I haven't had anything to drink today, Giles."

"I'm sorry?"

In lieu of a verbal answer, she pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor. Giles felt an immediate reaction to the sight of her silk covered breasts.

"Oh dear Lord…"

She bit her lip and glanced at the growing bulge in his jeans. She met his eyes as she quickly began working on his shirt buttons.

"I have one night left in England, Giles. And I want to spend it with you."

He stifled his groan as she parted his shirt and ran her palms over his chest. "What is this, Buffy?"

She leaned forward and flicked her tongue against his nipple as she unbuckled his belt. "Friends can have sex…once in a while. It doesn't have to mean anything, Giles. Just…two people feeling…"

"Buffy, I…" He wasn't able to stifle his groan as she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, reaching in and stroking his erection.

"Make me feel, Giles." She whispered huskily.

His fingers trembled as he reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've always found it extremely difficult to say 'no' to you."

"So don't start now."

He knew it was wrong. He knew that his heart would never forgive him. She wanted sex, he wanted love. It wasn't her fault that she didn't know. And now wasn't the time to tell her. He watched her as she let go of his rampant hard-on and reached behind her back, unclasping the catch on her bra.

As she bared her breasts to his hungry eyes, he knew he couldn't start saying 'no' to her now. He needed her as much as she wanted him at the moment. She wanted him…she wanted him to have sex with her. She didn't love him, but she wanted him.

For now, that was enough. With a low growl, he picked her up and pushed his tongue into her mouth as she wrapped her legs around his waist. The offer of tea completely forgotten, he turned and carried her out of the kitchen.

If this were the last time he'd be allowed to be with her in this way, he had every intention of doing it right. And doing it right meant taking her to bed, not fucking her on the cold tiles of the kitchen floor.

* * *

He grunted softly as she pushed him onto the bed, quickly pulling the rest of his clothes off before removing the rest of hers. As he reached for her, she smiled and shook her head. His eyes widened as she knelt on the floor between his legs.

"I didn't get to taste you last night…"

"Nor did…oh, dear Lord…" He groaned as she slid her mouth down the length of his erection.

She hummed appreciatively, smiling inwardly as his fingers threaded through her hair. Opening her eyes, she looked up at him as he gently guided her head. His head was thrown back, eyes closed, chest heaving as he fought for control. When she felt his fingers twitch against her scalp, she slowly pulled back and placed a warm kiss on the head of his cock.

"You taste nice." She whispered huskily.

He lifted his head and looked down at her through lust-glazed eyes. "Come here."

Placing her hands on his thighs, she pushed herself up, gasping as he suddenly grabbed her. A slow smile appeared on his lips as he rolled their bodies until she was on her back underneath him.

"My turn." He whispered as he lowered his mouth to her stomach.

"Oh God…" She whimpered as he quickly made his way down her body.

Parting her lower lips with his thumbs, he looked up at her and smiled as he flicked his tongue against her clitoris. Her hips bucked, seeking more. He wanted to take it slow…tease her with his mouth for a while. When she groaned an urgent 'please', he gave her a nod and covered her clit with his mouth.

He sucked hard at the bundle of nerves as he pushed two fingers from his left hand into her. Her hands flew to the back of his head, her nails clawing at his scalp as he lapped at her clit and curled his fingers up slightly.

Her head thrashed as her hips arched, increasing the pressure of his mouth against her. "Jesus! Giles!"

Pulling her clitoris between his teeth, he looked up at her as he gently bit her. She screamed in ecstasy and he felt her inner walls clamp around his fingers.

Shuddering violently, breathing hard, she opened her eyes and swallowed as she met his eyes. "Fuck me…"

He gasped at her urgently spoken whisper, her darkened eyes staring into his as he slowly lifted his head and removed his fingers. A moment of clarity hit him as he moved back up her body, nestled between her thighs with the head of his erection nudging against her clit.

"What is this, Buffy?" He whispered thickly.

"I don't know." She answered honestly as she lifted her legs around his hips. "I do know that I want to feel…and God, how you make me feel."

He closed his eyes and lowered his head, realizing that he had been hoping for an admission of love. Instead, he had received an expression of lust…and possibly need, going by the tone of her voice. He could…he should stop this now, it wasn't too late.

"Please, Giles…" She whimpered, her nails lightly scratching across his back. "Please, fuck me…"

And just like that, his moment of clarity disappeared. She needed him…if only for this moment. And God knew, he needed her desperately…he needed to feel her warmth, her desire, her…life. Groaning softly, he gently pushed his way in.

She inhaled sharply and he lifted his head to look at her.

"Alright?"

She nodded quickly, gripping his back tightly. "God…don't stop."

Moving slowly within her, he looked down at her flushed face. Her eyes were closed, but he could see the pleasure he was giving her. He bit his tongue quickly, stopping the words from escaping his lips.

She didn't want to hear that he loved her. She didn't want to hear that he wanted her to stay with him. She didn't want to hear that he would do everything he possibly could to make her happy for the rest of her life.

She wanted release. And she had come to him for said release.

Closing his eyes, he lowered his head to the crook of her neck and increased his pace. When she came, screaming his name, she took him with her. He kept his face buried in her neck as she held him tightly.

Only when he was certain that he had his emotions under control did he lift his head and roll to her side. This time when she started to get up to go to the guest room, he didn't stop her. He couldn't make her stay.

And it broke his heart to realize that fact…once again.

* * *

The next morning, after a fairly sleepless night for both of them, Buffy dropped her bags in the living room and made her way to the kitchen. She smiled and then fought back her tears as she watched him.

He was dressed in jeans and a button-up shirt, the top three buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up his forearms. She glanced down and smiled…he was barefoot. A cup of tea held in his right hand as he pushed the eggs around the pan with the spatula held in his left.

She thought he'd never looked more beautiful. Taking a deep breath, she walked further into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. He turned to her, taking a sip of his tea before placing his mug on the countertop, and smiled softly.

"Good morning." He gestured at the pan with the spatula and cleared his throat. "I, uh…you should eat more."

Though he was smiling at her, she could see the sadness in his eyes. He had buried it deep within, but she could still see a flicker.

"Are we okay?" She whispered, not trusting her voice to hold up for anything louder at the moment.

His smile faded and he picked up the pan, carefully scraping the scrambled eggs onto a plate. "We will be. Though, I'm rather sure that what happened last night, should not happen again."

She swallowed, turning her head quickly to look out the window. "Yeah, probably not a good idea."

He placed the plate on the counter in front of her and handed her a fork. "What…what time is your flight?"

She glanced at him before lowering her gaze and staring at the eggs. Pushing the eggs around the plate with the fork, she realized that she was anything but hungry.

"Eleven-thirty."

He glanced at the clock, his jaw clenching and then releasing. "It's nine now…I'll finish getting dressed while you eat and then I'll take you to the airport."

"I can call a taxi, Giles. It's no big deal."

Giles shook his head, his brow furrowing. "No, I'll – "

She interrupted him with a quiet statement. "It'll be easier for both of us if I just call a taxi."

He inhaled sharply and stared at her. "Buffy…"

"Promise me the phone calls will still come? That you won't just find everything too unseemly and just…disappear from my…_our_ lives?"

Giles felt like he had just been punched in the stomach. "I wouldn't do that, Buffy."

She bit her lip nervously and met his eyes. "Because you're my Watcher?"

"Because I'm your friend." He corrected gently. "Please, let me take you to the airport."

She considered it for a minute and then shook her head slowly. "It'd be too weird. It's better…saying goodbye here is better. Less people, less awkwardness…it's better."

He regarded her carefully and then exhaled slowly. "You've already called for a taxi, haven't you?"

"It'll be here at nine-thirty."

He nodded absently. "You, uh…should eat your eggs. Before they go cold."

"Giles…"

"No, no. You should eat. I'll, uh…" He looked down at his feet and sighed. "I'll go put some shoes on. You will allow me to accompany you outside to the taxi when it arrives, won't you?"

She heard no anger or frustration in the question. Resignation to the fact that she didn't think it would be appropriate for him to take her to the airport, yes…but no anger.

"Yes." She whispered as she watched him run his fingers through his hair.

"Alright. I'll…" He shook his head and left the room without another word.

Buffy pushed her plate to the side and held her head in her hands. She fought the tears, she would not cry in his house…not in front of him. Once she was in the taxi, yeah…but not here.

* * *

She hesitated as she said goodbye, wanting to give him a hug. She always hugged him when they parted ways. But, would it be the right thing to do now? Now that they'd had sex…twice?

Sensing her hesitation after he placed her bags in the boot of the taxi, he sighed. "Buffy?"

"I want to hug you." She whispered, not meeting his eyes.

He took a step forward and placed his right hand on her shoulder. "Then hug me."

She sniffled as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his chest. "I've always hated saying goodbye to you, Giles."

He lightly stroked her hair as he returned the embrace, leaning down to place a soft kiss on the top of her head. "As have I."

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she took a step back and looked up at him. "You'll call?"

He nodded, aching to pull her back into his arms and beg her to stay with him. "Same time?"

"Yeah. Um…I'll call you when I get back to Rome. I mean, if you want me to…I don't have to…"

Despite the heaviness of this goodbye, a smile pricked at his lips as she rambled. He'd always found it fascinating…and adorable.

"Please do, Buffy." He stared into her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "Have a nice trip and…give my love to Dawn."

She nodded slowly and slid into the back seat of the taxi. "I will. I'll talk to you soon."

He gave her a warm smile as she closed the door. With a slight wave, he stepped back from the driveway and watched as the taxi backed out onto the road. He caught her eyes once more and gave her another wave before shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he watched the taxi drive down the road.

He watched until it was out of sight and then still stood there for a few minutes longer. With a heavy, sad sigh, he turned and made his way back into the house.

* * *

The tears started as soon as he waved at her for the second time. As the driver navigated the car down the street, he glanced at her in the rearview mirror. He had seen this time and time again…people saying goodbye when they really didn't want to. For some reason, this time struck him as different.

"Should I turn around?" He asked softly.

She shook her head, wiping her eyes as she looked out the window. "No…if he had wanted me to stay, he would've asked."

The driver gave a nod, but said nothing more. He'd seen the look in the man's eyes as the pair had embraced. He'd wanted to ask her to stay, but something kept him from it. It was really none of his business, but the situation made him a little sad.

He sighed softly and turned onto the road that would take them to Heathrow.


	3. Chapter 3

_Over two months later…_

"I'm worried about him." Willow stated softly as she ran her hand over Ethan's bare chest.

"Him who?" Ethan asked, his breath still heavy and laboured.

"Giles." Willow whispered before placing a tender kiss on his chest.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Rupert?"

When Willow nodded, he smiled teasingly. "I've just spent the last hour and a half making love to you…and you're thinking about Rupert?"

Willow started to explain and then noticed the amused look in his eyes. "Well, I wasn't thinking about him during."

Ethan chuckled softly and then sobered. "I'm worried about him too."

"The only time I see him really happy is when Buffy calls. Maybe I should talk to him…I mean, he's miserable, Buffy's miserable."

Ethan sighed and shook his head. "Maybe you should let it be. Let them work out whatever differences they're having."

Willow lifted her head and narrowed her eyes. "Differences? They're having differences?"

"I don't know, love." It took all of his willpower not to tell her that Giles was, in fact, in love with Buffy. Instead he exhaled slowly and gently rubbed her back. "I do know that Rupert changes the subject fairly quickly whenever I mention Buffy's name."

"Well, maybe – "

Ethan groaned in slight annoyance before quickly covering Willow's mouth with his. He rolled their bodies until she was on her back underneath him. Only then did he remove his tongue from her mouth and look into her eyes.

"Maybe we should not think about Buffy and Rupert…and whatever problems might or might not lie there…for at least the next twenty minutes."

She nodded slowly as his fingers moved between her thighs. "Yeah…okay…"

Ethan smiled as he lowered his mouth to her neck.

* * *

Giles was sitting on the couch, trying to decide whether to make a pot of tea or pour himself a stiff drink, when someone rang his doorbell. He glanced at the clock and furrowed his brow, not knowing who would come to see him at nearly two o'clock in the morning.

When the bell sounded for a second time, he pushed himself up from the couch with a sigh. No one would come at this hour…unless there was an emergency. And if that were the case, it could be anyone…except for the one person he would hope it would be.

He sighed sadly and pulled the door open, somewhat surprised to find Willow on his doorstep.

"Hi, Giles."

"Good evening, Willow." He glanced over her head and into the darkness behind her. "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah." She waited until he looked at her before smiling softly. "But, not of the demon kind. Mind if I come in?"

Giles stepped to the side, allowing Willow to enter. He watched her as he closed the door. She was currently looking at the pictures lining the mantle.

"Would you care for anything to drink?"

She shook her head, smiling as she noticed the candid shot of Buffy that was set dead center on the mantle. "That's a good picture of her."

He glanced at the picture and nodded slowly as he sat down on the couch. "One of the few pictures I actually have of Buffy. But, I'm sure you didn't come over here to discuss photographs."

"No." Willow agreed as she sat on the other end of the couch and looked at him. "I came over here to find out what's wrong with you."

"Me?" His brow furrowed. "There's nothing wrong with me."

"Except for the fact that you're unfocused, not eating properly, and you've been smoking." She sat back and allowed her concern to be seen in her eyes. "Those three things only happen at the same time when there's something wrong."

"Willow…"

"In fact…" She continued quickly. "The only time that I've seen your eyes actually sparkle lately is when Buffy has called, for whatever reason."

When he lowered his eyes, Willow knew she was on the right track. She took a quick breath and pressed on.

"Buffy's been really down lately."

That got his attention. "Is…is she alright?"

Willow shrugged a shoulder and sighed. "She's about as talkative as you are. The only time she seems interested in anything I have to say is when she asks about you."

"She asks about me?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, every time I talk to her. 'How's Giles doing?' or 'Have you seen Giles lately?' or 'Should I send Giles an email?'." She watched him carefully as he glanced at the picture of Buffy. "Which kinda makes me wonder if something might've happened the last time she was in London."

"Happened?" He questioned, trying his best to calm the sudden rush of panic.

"Yeah…" She successfully hid her smile behind a concerned look. "You know…like you had an argument or something?"

"Oh." He swallowed and shook his head. "No…no we didn't argue. We…had a very nice visit."

Knowing he wouldn't actually volunteer any information, she took a deep breath and decided just to ask the question she wanted answered.

"Did you sleep with her?"

His eyes shot back to hers. "Pardon?"

"Look, I'm sorry for being so blunt and everything. But…the two of you are acting like Ethan and I did when we got together but didn't want anyone to know yet."

Giles cleared his throat and pushed himself from the couch, quickly making his way to the liquor cabinet. "We…we're not…we're not 'together'."

Willow followed him quickly, placing her hand on his as he reached for the bottle of scotch. "I didn't ask if you were together, Giles. I asked if you slept with her."

His hand trembled lightly before he pulled it out from under hers. "I…what is it that you want me to say, Willow?"

Willow felt her heart fill with sadness at his softly spoken question. "How many times?"

He lowered his head and closed his eyes, answering in a whisper that was just barely audible.

"Two nights."

Willow was quiet, watching his reaction. After a few moments, she sighed.

"But, you're not together?"

He chuckled sadly, shaking his head as he grabbed a bottle of vodka and poured himself a half-tumbler. He reached into the bar fridge and pulled out a slice of lime, giving it a gentle squeeze before dropping it into the clear liquid.

"It was merely sex."

Willow raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't believe you. You wouldn't be acting this way if was just sex. Giles…"

He took a sip of his drink and looked directly into her eyes for the first time since the conversation began.

"I didn't say it was just sex to me."

"Oh." Willow caught his meaning quickly. "Well, maybe it wasn't to her either. I mean – "

He turned and walked to the window, staring into the darkness as he lifted the glass to his lips. "She insisted it was. Just…two friends who had too much to drink and took comfort in one another."

"But, it wasn't…to you, I mean."

"Not hardly." He whispered, quickly draining his glass.

"And I'm guessing you didn't tell her."

Giles turned slowly and stared at her. "She didn't give me a chance. Instead, she launched into a speech about how sometimes these things happen and it doesn't mean that anything needs to change. What would you have had me do, Willow? Stop her and say 'I love you'?"

Willow's mouth dropped open. She had suspected, but hadn't expected him to flat-out admit it. "How long?"

He shook his head and walked back to the cabinet, quickly refilling his glass. "I don't even know anymore."

"Before Sunnydale blew up?"

He nodded slowly and moved back to the couch. "Before Glory."

Willow's eyes widened. "Giles…"

"I never intended for her, or anyone, to know. And I certainly was never expecting to know how it would feel to hold her…to…" He cleared his throat and lowered his eyes as he allowed the statement to remain unfinished.

He didn't have to finish for Willow to understand what he was saying. She sat down on the coffee table in front of him and took hold of the hand that wasn't clutching the glass of vodka.

"I think you need to tell her."

"She wouldn't even allow me to take her to the airport when she left."

"Giles…this is going to eat at you until it drives you crazy. Trust me, she's handling this about as well as you are. Talk to her…tell her – "

"I told her that it would probably be best if it didn't happen again." He interrupted softly. "And even as I said the words, I just wanted to hold her…to feel her lips on mine one last time…"

"Do I hear tears in your words, mate?" Came a soft voice from across the room.

Giles sighed heavily, leaning his head against the back of the couch and closing his eyes. "Ethan…don't."

Willow looked at Ethan sharply. "What are you doing here? And…how did you get in?"

"Woke up in an empty bed. Figured you'd be here trying to talk some sense into him." He smiled warmly and held up his key ring. "I have a key, love. But, the door wasn't locked anyway."

"Oh." She responded absently before furrowing her brow. "You knew?"

Giles sighed again and looked at Willow. "I asked him not to say anything. I wasn't actually expecting him to be able to keep such a secret." He turned his eyes to Ethan as Ethan sat down next to Willow. "Thank you for that."

"Yeah, well…this secret's gonna kill you if you're not careful."

Giles rolled his eyes. "I'll get over it…"

"You haven't in at least four years. In fact, now that you've had a taste…I imagine that it would be even more difficult to let go."

"Ethan!" Willow scolded quickly.

"As if you're not thinking the same thing." Ethan grinned at her, absently rubbing her thigh. He looked into Giles' eyes and shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe if you just went out and shagged someone – "

Willow slapped his arm. "Ethan!"

"I tried that." Giles admitted as he stared at the glass in his hand.

Willow stared at Giles in disbelief while Ethan fought to control his grin. "And? How did it go?"

"Not so well." Giles replied sadly. He looked up quickly as Ethan's grin broke through. "And before you ask, I was able to get it up…I didn't come prematurely…"

Willow's mouth closed, then opened, then closed again. Ethan chuckled softly.

"You do know how my mind works."

Giles lifted his glass in a silent salute before taking a sip. Ethan tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes in thought.

"So what was the problem? She couldn't give good head?"

"No, that part was adequate." Giles responded without thought.

Willow promptly dropped her head in her hands.

"Then?" Ethan prompted, casting a quick glance to his seemingly very embarrassed girlfriend.

"She just wasn't Buffy. Her lips tasted different, her body felt different…I wanted Buffy and everything about her screamed that she was anything but Buffy." He took a deep breath and shook his head. "So I apologized and told her that I was in love with someone…that I couldn't…"

Ethan grinned. "And then she slapped the shit out of you."

"She didn't hit like Buffy either."

Willow lifted her head and darted her eyes between the two men, slightly shocked at their conversation. Ethan's side of the conversation didn't surprise her. However, Giles' candid admissions and replies were not what she was used to from him.

Thinking of her options at the moment, she quickly made her mind up and stood, making her way to the phone and grumbling under her breath the entire time. Giles watched her carefully, his brow furrowing when she picked up the phone.

"What are you doing?"

Willow turned to look at him as she dialed a number. "Hopefully helping the both of you out."

Giles' eyes widened in panic. "Willow, no…please don't call her!"

Willow offered him a smile as she began to speak into the phone. "I need to make a booking for your first flight out to Rome this morning please."

When Giles started to get up, Ethan placed his right hand on Giles' shoulder and pushed him back down. "You know she's right, Rip."

Giles just groaned and closed his eyes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nearly three months after Buffy had left England, and two days after his discussion with Willow, Giles found himself standing at the front door of the apartment Buffy and Dawn occupied in Rome. He had been able to delay the flight for a couple of days, citing some very important paperwork that needed to be dealt with before he left.

Not trusting him to actually go to the airport after he had delayed the trip for a second time using the excuse of waiting for a package to arrive, Willow and Ethan followed him to the airport. After he had boarded the airplane, they even waited until the plane had taken off. And then they waited an extra twenty minutes, just in case.

Satisfied that he hadn't doubled back, Ethan took Willow's hand and led her out of the airport.

"Do you think he'll tell her?" She asked quietly.

He smiled down at her and gave a nod. "I don't think he has much choice anymore."

* * *

He shifted nervously and, taking a deep breath, rang the doorbell.

Buffy opened the door and stared at her visitor, her mouth dropping open in shock. "Giles?"

"Hello, Buffy. I…I was wondering if we could talk." He stammered as he took in her disheveled appearance. In all the years he'd known her, he had never seen her look so tired…so disorganized.

She stepped back from the door, watching him as he entered. "Something apocalyptic on the rise?"

He shook his head as she closed the door and then looked into the living room. "Is Dawn home?"

"No, she's out on a date. Is this about Dawn? I mean – "

Giles smiled softly. "No, it isn't about Dawn. I was merely wondering if she were home. Date…with Marco?"

Buffy snorted as she led Giles into the living room, taking his bag from him and placing it on the floor at the end of the couch. "She's 'so over Marco'. That ended a couple of weeks after I got back. This guy, Tomasso…is a new guy. I don't think she thinks he's _the_ guy, but he's nice enough. Would you like a cup of tea?"

He shook his head and sat down on the couch. "Not right now, thank you. How, uh…how are you?"

Buffy furrowed her brow as she sat down on a chair. "Small talk…so not like you. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Buffy."

"Nothing's wrong? Says the man who just appears in Rome, out of the blue, and starts off with small talk. This is one of those times I could use a drink. Are you sure you don't want anything?"

Giles stared at his Slayer, searching for the right words. Apparently, the words weren't coming quickly enough as Buffy sighed heavily and shook her head.

"Would you quit staring at me like I'm a freak?"

"You're not a freak, Buffy." He stated softly.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Let's count the ways Buffy's a freak." She lifted her hand ticking off each statement with her fingers.

"I've died twice. I've had sex with two vampires. I have a sister who was, at one time, a mystical key. I've let three vampires feed from me…"

Giles narrowed his eyes as he interrupted her. "You didn't exactly 'let' the Master feed from you."

"Okay, fine. But, I _did_ let Dracula…and I _forced_ Angel…"

"To save his life." Giles added quickly.

"Yeah, such a smart thing to do, wasn't it? Freakish!"

"Buffy…"

She shook her head quickly. "No, let me finish."

He gave an exasperated sigh and sat back in his chair.

"Where was I? Death, vampires, sister…" She crossed her arms over her chest. "My best friend tried to end the world, I practically forced my Watcher to have sex with me…twice…"

Giles reddened deeply. "I wouldn't say you forced me. As I recall, I was a willing particip – "

"I'm pregnant."

Giles' mouth dropped open as his eyes widened. "What?"

Buffy grimaced, cursing under her breath.

"That's not how I meant for it to come out."

Giles leaned forward, staring at her in disbelief. "You're…you're pregnant?"

She sighed heavily and nodded, averting her eyes from his as she answered in a whisper. "Yeah, I am."

Giles was at a loss for words. He stared at her as she stood up. She walked over to the desk and picked up her handbag.

"Buffy…"

She opened the bag and rummaged around inside before taking a deep breath and pulling out what looked like a piece of paper. She chewed on her bottom lip, dropping her bag to the floor as she made her way to the couch and sat next to him.

Her hand shook as she handed the item to him, as did her voice when she spoke. "This…first picture of the baby. It, uh…it was taken today."

He looked down at the picture and swallowed thickly as his heart began to race. "You're pregnant."

She nodded slowly and cleared her throat. "Giles, I – "

He interrupted her with a softly spoken question. "Is it mine?"

Buffy's face flushed red as her voice trembled with a sudden anger. "What the hell kind of question is that? Do you think I just sleep with anyone who happens along?"

He looked to her quickly and shook his head. "Buffy, no. No, that's not what – "

She shook her head and stood up, grabbing her bag and walking towards the door. She stopped when he called her name again.

"I need to go right now, Giles. Before I say something I'll really regret later. We can talk when I get back…if you're still here."

"Buffy – "

"I'm not asking anything of you, Giles." She turned slowly and met his eyes. "But, I am having this baby."

He opened his mouth, but no words formed. She sighed and opened the door.

"Like I said, if you're still here when I get back…we'll talk."

With that, she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. He stared at the door for a few minutes before looking back down at the picture in his hands.

"I'll be here." He whispered to the empty room.

* * *

Giles had been sitting on the couch, staring at the picture as his mind raced, for nearly two hours when a slamming door startled him.

"Giles!"

Giles quickly placed the sonogram picture under his coat, unsure as to whether Dawn knew of Buffy's condition. He assumed that she didn't. Surely, Buffy would have told him if she had spoken to Dawn.

He smiled as he stood up, catching her as she launched herself into his arms. "Hello, Dawn."

"God, I've missed you! Buffy must be out of her mind with you here! Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"

He gently rubbed her back before releasing her from the embrace. "It was a rather spur of the moment decision on my part. I do apologize."

Dawn hugged him again before letting go. Giles smiled softly, slipping his hands into his pockets. Dawn chuckled and gestured towards the couch.

"Come on, sit down and answer my questions!"

Giles gave a sigh of mock-exasperation. "And that sounds like fun."

Dawn grinned at him as he sat down. She plopped onto the couch beside of him, curling her legs underneath her as she faced him. "Are you staying here?"

"Um…well, I haven't thought that far ahead. I came straight here from the airport."

"You're totally staying here! You wouldn't make us stay in a hotel, so we're not making you stay in one."

Giles chuckled softly and then sobered. "Dawn…"

"What's wrong? This isn't a social call, is it? Something bad's happened."

Giles sighed and shook his head. "Why must everyone assume that something bad has happened when they see me?"

"Well, you're here on an unscheduled visit and…you don't exactly look thrilled about it."

Giles cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "I…where would Buffy go if she were upset?"

Dawn furrowed her brow. "What?"

"We, uh…we had a disagreement earlier and…well, she said she'd be back later. Do you know where she might've gone?"

Dawn sighed and shook her head. "That must be a new world record for the two of you."

"Yes, well…" He started, his tone full of sadness.

"There's a bar a couple of blocks over. She insists on calling it a pub, I don't know why. Anyway, she goes there sometimes to think if she's having a rough day." Dawn thought for a second and looked into Giles' eyes. "Come to think of it…she's been spending a lot of time there lately."

Giles straightened and narrowed his eyes slightly. "She's drinking?"

Dawn smiled softly. "No, 'mister drinking's not good for you'. I asked her one time, she said that she doesn't drink because bad things can happen to good people when they're under the influence."

She shrugged a shoulder as Giles stared at her. "I have no idea what that's supposed to mean. All I know is that she goes down there, shoots a few rounds of pool or throws some darts…and then she comes home after a couple of hours."

Giles nodded slowly, Dawn's words echoing in his head. Dawn reached out and gently rubbed his arm.

"What did you argue about?"

Giles opened his mouth and then closed it. He took a deep breath and reached up, removing his glasses before rubbing his eyes.

"I said something…thoughtlessly. Understandably, she became upset with me. But, I wasn't able to set things straight before she left."

Dawn gave him an understanding smile. "Trust me, she's been real moody lately. Apparently I say things 'thoughtlessly' all the time these days too."

"Has she talked to you about what's bothering her?"

She shook her head as she thought. "No, not really. She said that she's a bit hormonal. But, I've never had PMS for this long."

Giles blushed heavily and cleared his throat. His reaction made Dawn laugh and she hugged him again.

"I really have missed you, Giles."

He smiled as he returned the hug. "I've missed you as well, Dawn."

She pushed herself up and gestured down the hall. "Look, I'll just go change the sheets on my bed and you can have it for as long as you're here."

Giles shook his head quickly. "I won't hear of that, Dawn. The couch is perfectly acceptable."

Dawn crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. "If we came to your place and we were staying in your house, would you have one of us sleeping on the couch?"

Giles chuckled softly. "Well, no. But, I have a four bedroom house, so it wouldn't be an issue. I'll be fine on the couch, I assure you."

Dawn thought for a moment and then sighed. "Okay, but…if Buffy starts giving me a hard time about it, you'd better tell her that I offered."

"I promise."

She glanced at the clock and frowned. "You'll be here for at least a few days, right? I mean…you're not leaving in the morning or anything?"

"I – "

"It's just…my classes start early in the morning, so I'm gonna have to go to bed. But, if you're leaving in the morning, I'll blow off classes – "

A horrified look crossed Giles' features. "You'll do no such thing."

"I want to spend some time with you, Giles. It's been a long time since I've seen you."

He smiled softly and gently squeezed her shoulder. "We'll have time…perhaps I can take you and your sister out for dinner tomorrow night?"

Dawn's smile returned. "That'd be great! It's a date!"

He chuckled and leaned back against the cushions. "Off to bed with you, then."

"I…I can stay up with you, if you want. Until Buffy gets home."

He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "No, that's not necessary. Besides, I need to try to find the right words to say to her when she returns."

"Okay…if you're sure."

He smiled and gave her a nod. "I'm positive. You need your rest, Dawn."

She gave him another hug and a kiss on the cheek. After making sure he knew where the essentials were…the bathroom, the canister of tea…she made her way to her room.

He sighed heavily, reaching under his jacket and pulling the picture back out.


	4. Chapter 4

Buffy walked into the living room and leaned against the doorframe, a slow smile appearing on her face. Her anger from before had dissipated as soon as she had walked into the 'pub'. And now, she was home and Giles was here. The father of her baby was here…in Rome and currently sitting on her couch with the sonogram picture of their child in his hands, his brow furrowed as his finger lightly traced the image.

"Everything okay, Giles?"

He jumped, clearly startled as he hadn't heard her come in. He looked at her sheepishly and smiled.

"I think I can make out a head. Or it could be a hand."

She snorted a laugh and pushed off the doorframe, moving to the couch and sitting down next to him. "Show me."

He leaned towards her slightly and pointed to the spot he was currently studying. "What do you think? Head or hand?"

Buffy sighed and shook her head. "Does it make me a bad mother if I say 'I don't know'?"

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Not at all. In fact, it makes me feel quite a lot better."

Buffy jumped suddenly and put her hand on her stomach. Giles dropped the picture and turned to face her, his eyes full of concern.

"Buffy?"

She grabbed his hand quickly and placed it on her stomach. His eyes dropped to their hands and he swallowed.

"Do you feel it?" She asked, pressing his hand harder against her.

He shook his head and lifted his eyes to hers. "No, what is it? Is something wrong?"

"I…think the baby just moved." She whispered softly, gazing into his eyes.

"What did it feel like?" He whispered back, his fingers lightly rubbing her stomach.

She swallowed and moved her hand to his wrist. "Like…a flutter or something."

"Oh. I'm not really up to date on the stages of pregnancy…" His gaze darted to her lips before returning to her eyes. "Maybe it's something only you can feel right now."

"Yeah." She leaned forward slightly, releasing his wrist. She found herself somewhat surprised when he didn't remove his hand.

Realizing that he was dangerously close to kissing her, he cleared his throat and sat back. The moment broken, she heaved a heavy sigh and stood up.

"I, uh…it's late. I should…I should go to bed. After all, tomorrow's another big day."

He regarded her carefully. "What's tomorrow?"

"I had planned on telling Dawn that she's going to be an aunt when she gets back from her classes."

"Would, uh…would you like for me to be there?"

She lowered her eyes and took a deep breath. "Can we talk about it in the morning?"

"Of course, Buffy." He replied gently. "You…should get some rest."

"There are clean towels in the hall closet, if you want to take a shower before…" She narrowed her eyes as something occurred to her. "You can't sleep on the couch."

He offered her a small smile. "I've already had this discussion with Dawn. She offered her bed to me. As I told her, I'm fine on the couch. Thank you."

"Um…okay…good night, Giles." She uttered quickly with a nod before turning and nearly running out of the room.

"Buffy?"

She stopped in the doorway and turned to look at him. "Yeah?"

He opened his mouth and then closed it again. His courage lost, he exhaled softly. "Sleep well."

She offered him a sad smile. "You too."

With that, she turned and made her way down the hall to her bedroom. Giles cursed softly under his breath and picked the picture up from the floor.

* * *

Two hours later, he walked past her bedroom door on his way back from the bathroom. The shower had refreshed him and now he found himself wide awake. He paused outside her door and placed his palm on the cool wood.

He wanted to talk to her, he wanted to tell her so many things. He also had questions. The most important being, would she have told him if he hadn't come to Rome? He did his best to calm his nerves and gently knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" She answered quietly, but not in a tone that indicated she had been asleep.

"Buffy…may I come in?"

She was silent for a moment and then responded with another 'yeah'. He took a deep breath and slowly opened the door. She was sitting on the bed, her back resting against the headboard with a book in her lap. He walked in and closed the door behind him.

"I…can I talk to you for a moment, please?"

She closed the book, setting it to the side as she scooted to the middle of the bed. "Yeah."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, glancing at her before lowering his eyes. "When I asked if the baby was mine, I didn't – "

"I know." She interrupted him softly. "My hormones are so out of whack right now. I'm sorry that I walked out the way I did. I just…I thought it was the best thing to do at that moment."

"Were you ever going to tell me?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes. But, I was scared of how you were going to take it. I picked up the phone so many times over the past month…but, I always hung up before I hit the last number."

"You said you didn't expect anything from me."

"I don't. This wasn't exactly planned and I know it was just sex to you, but…I want this baby, Giles. And I'll raise him or her with all the love I have."

He turned his head sharply and looked into her eyes. "And what if I want to be a father to this child? Do I have any say on what role I'm allowed to play in his or her life?"

Buffy stared at him, dumbfounded at his words. "Do you?"

He turned his body to face her and licked his suddenly dry lips. "Yes, Buffy. I do."

Her eyes glistened as she shook her head, her hands playing with the edge of the sheet. "How is this supposed to work? We live in different countries…"

"One of us could relocate. You, and Dawn, are more than welcome to come and stay with me."

"And that wouldn't be at all awkward, would it?" She sighed, averting her eyes from his.

"I'll do whatever I have to do to be this child's father. If you want me to move to Rome, I will."

Not knowing how to respond to that statement, Buffy bit her lip and changed the topic. "Giles, I have to ask you something. And…there's really no good way to ask."

He gave her a nod, requesting she continue. She inhaled deeply and blurted out her question.

"How often do you have unprotected sex?"

He raised an eyebrow. It was a sudden change of topic in the conversation, but she had every right to know. Especially considering the day and age they were living in.

"Never…in the past twenty years or so. I…I'm normally extremely careful."

"But, not with me?" She asked in a hushed tone.

"I have no excuse, Buffy. I'm certain that I'm…clean. But, I have no issues with being tested, to ease your mind."

"No, I trust you. If I didn't, I would've stopped you. I would've insisted on…condoms or something."

He tilted his head slightly and gazed at her. "But, you didn't."

When she shook her head, he whispered a one word question. "Why?"

"I…I don't know. Maybe subconsciously I was…hoping. I mean, I'm getting older."

When his brow furrowed, she clarified her statement.

"I'm a Slayer, Giles. This is old for a Slayer, you know that as well as I do." He gave a nod of agreement as she continued. "Maybe my biological clock was telling me this might be my one shot to have a baby. All I know is…I didn't stop you. I didn't insist on protection."

She blew out a deep breath and looked into his eyes. "You were the first person that I've not used protection with."

He cleared his throat and twisted the onyx ring on his finger. "Um…Angel? Spike?"

She shook her head slowly. "I was a little clueless about the whole 'vampires aren't able to have children' thing with Angel. With Spike…" She ran a hand through her hair in a nervous gesture. "With Spike, I couldn't handle the thought of feeling his…I didn't want it inside of me."

"Oh." Giles answered, rubbing the side of his neck.

"With you…I wanted to feel. And this…" She glanced down at her stomach and bit her lip. "This is the result. A baby…your baby."

"Our baby." He whispered almost inaudibly.

"Giles…" She trailed off when she saw his hand edge towards her abdomen. When he stopped his movement before his fingers touched her, she sniffled. "You can touch, if you want."

His fingers trembled as they lightly brushed over her stomach. When he placed his palm over the barely distinguishable swell of her stomach, she covered his hand with hers. He raised his eyes, his heart rate quickening as their eyes met.

She lifted her free hand and grazed her fingertips over his cheek. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"Buffy, I…" As her fingers slipped to his neck, he sighed and closed his eyes. The mark she had left was long gone, but he still remembered the sensation of her mouth latched onto his skin.

When he felt her lips brush over his, his eyes snapped open. She swallowed as she slowly pulled away and licked her lips.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I shouldn't have – "

Her thought was left unfinished as he quickly leaned into her, covering her mouth with his. Her lips parted as she gasped in surprise. He took advantage of the opportunity, slipping his right hand to the back of her neck as he pushed his tongue into her mouth.

He felt, rather than heard, her groan as he moved his left hand from her stomach to cradle her face. She responded quickly, sliding her tongue along his as her hands moved up his t-shirt covered chest.

He broke the kiss and groaned softly as her fingers brushed over his hardened nipples. "Buffy…"

She had noticed his reaction when she had touched his neck earlier. She also remembered how he had lost control when she sucked on the flesh so many months ago. Leaning forward, she kissed his neck lightly before nipping at his skin with her teeth.

"Christ…" He hissed, his hand moving to cup the back of her head as she nipped him again. "God, Buffy…I love you."

She lifted her head slowly, her heart racing as she looked into his darkened eyes. "What?"

His chest heaved as he tried to calm the panic rushing through him. He took a deep breath, knowing he had no choice but to tell her the truth.

"I love you." He whispered nervously. "I've been in love with you for so very long. And…it wasn't 'just sex' to me, Buffy. It was never 'just sex'."

"You're…in love with me?" Buffy whispered, her eyes widening.

He swallowed nervously and lowered his eyes. "Yes. I'm sorry…I…uh…"

"Giles?"

"I think I very well may have taken advantage of the situation a few months ago." He responded softly.

"Taken advantage?" She questioned, wishing he would just look at her again.

Clearing his throat, he nodded as he stared at his hands. "You were drunk, your inhibitions had been lowered…your standards had probably dropped as a result as well. I…well, I knew that it was probably the only chance I'd ever have. I – "

"If anything, my standards were higher." She whispered, offering him a soft smile when he finally did look up.

"I'm sorry?"

"I've never liked the fact that you talk yourself down, Giles. You act like you don't deserve me…when it's me that doesn't deserve you. After everything I've done…after everything I've said…how can you still love me?"

"I tried not to." Giles admitted quietly. "I was so sure that my feelings wouldn't be returned. But, it seemed the more I tried not to, the more I loved you. And those two nights that we shared…" He sighed and averted his eyes from her again. "I believe those were the happiest two nights I've had in many years."

Buffy was quiet for a few moments, watching him closely. Just as he looked like he was getting ready to stand, she took a deep breath and spoke.

"You didn't take advantage of me, Giles."

He looked up quickly when he felt her hand caress the side of his face. "Pardon?"

"I…I kinda thought that I was the one doing the advantage taking."

When he merely stared at her in shock, she lowered her hand and licked her lips. "I need to know something, Giles."

He blinked and choked out one word. "What?"

"Why did you leave me?"

"I…" His brow furrowed in confusion. "God, how I wanted you to stay…but you needed to come back here."

"No…" She shook her head and took a deep breath. "You left me in Sunnydale to go back to England. Why?"

"Oh…" Understanding shone in his eyes as he exhaled slowly, gathering his words.

"I…you were depending on me too much. And I couldn't bring myself to tell you no. You wanted…or needed…me to take care of everything that required the tiniest bit of effort. And I couldn't watch you do that to yourself. I was only making things worse…because I wasn't forcing you to deal with your responsibilities on your own."

She nodded slowly, covering his hands with hers when she noticed that he was beginning to fidget. "I get that, Giles. But…is that the only reason you left?"

"I…" He sighed heavily and looked down at their joined hands. "I saw you kiss him. Everything I just said is true. But…I also couldn't bear the thought of another vampire having what I so desperately wanted. Especially…_him_."

"You saw?" She whispered, not having expected to hear that admission.

"I…I came out looking for you when you ran out…" He pulled his left hand out from under hers and ran his fingers through his hair. "I wanted to make sure that…that you were alright."

"Giles…"

He met her eyes and shook his head. "I couldn't watch you with him, Buffy. My heart…I couldn't take it."

"You left because you were jealous?" She asked in a tender tone.

"Not entirely. That…that was just…the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back."

Her eyes glistened as she rubbed the hand that hers was still covering. "You need to know something." She inhaled deeply and looked into his eyes. "That song…I pretended I didn't hear you, but…but I did. And I couldn't deal with the thought of you leaving."

"Buffy…"

"I was hurting so much and…and then you telling me that you couldn't stay didn't help. And, Spike…well, Spike was there and he wanted me…in a way I didn't think you could ever want me. And so I used him…to try to get over you."

Giles stared at her, her words screaming at him but his heart still not allowing him to trust what he knew his mind had heard. "Get over me?"

She nodded slowly and lifted her right hand, brushing her fingers through his hair above his ear. "God, I love you, Giles…I loved you then."

"You…love me…" Giles stated, an uncertain tone in his voice.

"Yeah, I do." She sighed and trailed her fingertips down the side of his face. "I wanted to tell you when I was in London. I had this fantasy of you asking me to stay…instead I got 'this shouldn't happen again' and an offer of a ride to the airport."

Giles blinked and shook his head. "I thought that's what you wanted."

"You didn't think I could love you. Just like I thought you couldn't love me. And here we are, two and a half months later…a baby on the way and the realization that we're both in love with one another."

"I…" He whispered, darting his eyes to her lips when her fingers ran down the side of his neck.

"Ssh…" She whispered back, leaning into him and brushing her lips across his. "Let's not waste anymore time, Giles."

He still couldn't believe what was happening, but he also couldn't stop his body's instinctive response to her soft kiss. Looking into her eyes once more, wanting to see for himself that she was sincere in her words and having it confirmed by the love shining in her eyes, he gently pulled her to him and covered her mouth with his.

His kisses were slow and thorough, his tongue exploring her mouth as his hands roamed over her back. She returned his kisses as passionately as he was giving them, sliding her hand into his hair and pulling him down with her as she laid down on the mattress.

When his mind registered that their positions had moved from vertical to horizontal, he reluctantly broke the kiss and looked into her eyes.

"I…I just want to hold you tonight, Buffy."

She smiled as she gently rubbed his chest. "We can take this as slow as you want, Giles."

His hand moved to her abdomen as he swallowed. "We've done all of this out of order. I love you, Buffy…and I want you. I just…I need to just hold you tonight. Is that alright?"

She nodded and moved into his arms. "Is it okay if I hold you too?"

A smile appeared on his face as he tenderly brushed a lock of hair back from her forehead. "Yes…it's very okay."

She whispered her love for him again as he lowered his mouth to hers.

* * *

The next morning, Dawn was up early. After she had a quick shower and had gotten dressed, she tiptoed into the living room. She stopped suddenly when she saw that the couch had obviously not been slept on. She panicked for a second and then noticed that his bag was still where it was last night.

She narrowed her eyes and, after checking the kitchen and not finding him there, quietly opened Buffy's bedroom door and poked her head inside. A bright smile lit her face when she saw them…his arms wrapped around her, her head resting on his chest…and they both looked so peaceful.

Dawn was sure something had happened between them when Buffy had gone to London. She had even questioned Buffy about it in the weeks that followed. But, Buffy would change the subject as quickly as she could.

This was all of the proof Dawn needed.

She chuckled softly to herself and closed the bedroom door. She'd get the truth out of them this afternoon…right now, she had to get to class.

* * *

Buffy woke first, which surprised her. She hadn't expected his arms to still be around her, much less for him to still be asleep. Raising her head, she smiled softly. He looked so relaxed…so…happy.

Before she could stop herself, she leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his lips. He responded quickly, waking but not opening his eyes as he deepened the kiss and tightened his hold on her.

His arousal was building quickly. So was hers, he mused as he felt her warmth when she shifted until she was straddling him. He broke the kiss slowly, looking into her eyes as his hands moved to her hips.

"Good morning." He whispered as she smiled down at him.

"Hi there…" She sighed as she felt his thick erection underneath her.

When she started to move to his side, his hands gripped her hips tightly. Shaking his head as he licked his lips, he took a deep breath.

"Please…stay where you are."

Her smile resurfaced as her hands slipped under his shirt. "I thought you wanted to take this slow…"

"We…don't have to do anything, Buffy. I…I just want to feel you for a while longer."

She gently rocked her hips against him, grinning as he groaned softly. "And…what if we want to do something?"

"Do you?" He whispered hoarsely as her fingers circled his left nipple.

"Oh yes. Yes, I do…" She sighed as she leaned down and kissed him.

He smiled, his eyes darkening with passion as he gently rolled her onto her back and leaned over her. "Are you sure?"

Lifting her hand, she lovingly stroked his cheek. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

His lips were almost touching hers when a thought entered his mind. "Dawn."

She opened her eyes and looked at him in confusion. "Huh?"

"Um…your sister?" He whispered as he glanced towards the bedroom door.

"Oh…what time is it?"

He looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table. "Eight forty-seven."

Her smile returned as she slid her hand to the back of his neck, gently pulling him back down to her lips. "She's already gone…classes today."

"Oh…good." He whispered just seconds before they reignited their earlier kiss.

When he felt her hands move under his shirt again, he pulled from the kiss and gave her enough room to pull the garment off. No sooner had she seen his bare chest, he kissed her again.

His hand moved up her thigh until it reached the hem of her nightshirt. He smiled at her soft whimper as he ended the kiss. Kneeling between her thighs, he slowly pushed the nightshirt up her body.

"Buffy…look at me…please."

She forced her eyes open and sighed when she found him smiling at her. He continued pushing the soft cotton shirt up, giving a sigh himself when his hands brushed over her breasts.

"I love you. I love you so very much, Buffy."

She sat up, allowing him to pull the shirt up over her head before lying back down. "I love you too, Giles."

He looked down at her breasts, his eyes darkening more as he watched her nipples harden under his gaze. Leaning back over her, he placed a warm kiss on her lips before kissing her chin…her throat…slowly making his way to her left breast.

Her back arched, a soft moan escaping her lips when she felt his tongue circle the hardened nub. He moved with a patience that surprised her. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't the slow, precise movements guaranteed to make her moan uncontrollably.

As his mouth moved to her right breast, she shivered and lifted her left leg over his hip. He groaned against her sensitive skin as she pulled him closer…pressing his erection against her damp core. His hips thrust against her involuntarily, causing her to groan loudly.

Lifting his head, he moved to her side and watched her face as he slowly pushed her underwear down her thighs. As he dropped the scrap of silk to the floor, he gazed at her nude body.

She grinned as she sat up and ran her hand up his chest. "You've seen me before, you know."

"Mm." He mumbled softly, closing his eyes briefly as her nails scratched over his right nipple. "Different though…"

"How?" She whispered as he gently pushed her back down and kissed her stomach.

"You love me." He answered, placing another loving kiss on her abdomen. "We're having a baby…and you love me."

"You really want this baby." She said quietly, stating the fact…not asking.

He lifted his head and looked into her eyes, gently rubbing her stomach as he placed his left leg between hers. "This child…was created out of love, Buffy. Granted, I didn't know that you loved me…but, I knew without a doubt how I felt…feel…about you."

She inhaled sharply, his words warming her heart. "When I found out…I was so happy. Before the fear set in, I mean. All I could think about was the fact that I…that I was having your baby. And, I don't remember feeling that much peace before. Well, before now…"

He smiled as he gently ran his fingers through the damp curls covering her mound. "Are you feeling at peace, love?"

She gasped as his fingers slipped between her lips and traced her wet folds. "I feel…at peace, like I'm going to explode, unbelievably surprised…all at once."

He looked at her curiously, continuing to stroke her…allowing his fingertip to circle her clitoris before sliding down to her entrance. "Unbelievably surprised?"

She nodded as she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his pajama pants and started to push them down over his hips. "That you could love me. That…that my dreams seem to be coming true."

He lifted his hips, aiding her in the removal of the pants. He smiled as he kicked them off and pressed his fingers harder against her clit. His smile faded somewhat as he gazed into her eyes.

"I wanted to ask you to stay so badly. It broke my heart to watch you leave in that taxi."

Her eyes glistened at the memory, still so fresh in her own mind and heart. "I think I cried all the way to the airport. The taxi driver asked me a few times if I wanted him to take me back…to you."

"I should have listened to my heart." He whispered as he gently pushed his middle finger into her and lightly stroked her inner walls. "I should have gone after you…begged you to stay."

She gasped, her hips arching against his hand as her fingers curled around his erection. "I…I should have asked you…to stay in Sunnydale."

His eyes closed as he automatically thrust in her hand. "You…you did…"

Rubbing her thumb over the head as he slipped a second finger into her, she shook her head. "For the wrong reason. Made it…made it about work…not about…love."

He pulled his fingers from her suddenly, causing her to open her eyes just in time to watch him lick her fluids from his hand. She gave him another firm stroke, collecting the moisture gathering at the head with her thumb before releasing him. He moaned softly as she licked the moisture from her thumb.

"I don't think either of us were ready…truly ready…until this very moment." Giles whispered as he knelt between her thighs and leaned over her.

Bending her legs, resting her knees against his sides, Buffy looked into his eyes. "Why did you come?"

"Pardon?" He asked in a confused tone, the head of his cock resting at her entrance.

"To Rome? You…you didn't know about the baby…"

He shook his head and offered her a shy smile. "I came to declare my love for you. Learning that I'm to be a father…well, that was just a bonus."

"You came for me?"

He nodded, kissing her lips softly as he carefully pushed his hips forward. "I came for you."

She threw her head back, gasping as he filled her. His lips found her neck as he began thrusting with a gentle rhythm. As her nails dug into his back, her hips rising to meet each of his thrusts, he lifted his head and gazed into her eyes.

"I'll always come for you, Buffy. Always."

He smiled as his name left her lips on a loud moan.


	5. Chapter 5

They finally dragged themselves out of Buffy's bed at midday. He followed her down the hall and into the bathroom, happy that she hadn't bothered to put a robe on…or anything else, for that matter. He ran his fingertip down her spine when she leaned over the tub to turn the shower on.

"You're so very beautiful." He whispered lovingly.

"And sticky." She countered, turning around to offer him a bright smile. "Which is your fault."

He grinned as he followed her into the shower and pulled the curtain closed behind them. "I'm not sorry for that."

She sighed happily as she ran her hands up his chest and over his shoulders. "You'd better not be."

He chuckled softly, kissing her lips before reaching for the bottle of body wash. He held the bottle in front of her and raised an eyebrow.

"I meant to ask you about this last night."

"What? My body wash?" She asked as she grabbed the sponge from the hook on the wall.

"Mm-hm. Just so happens to be the exact same brand I have at home."

She blushed lightly and shrugged a shoulder. "It reminded me of you. If I could have something…anything…that made me think of you…it made me happy. Well, as happy as I could've been."

"Come back to England with me, Buffy." He whispered suddenly, with a conviction that surprised her.

"I want to." She replied softly. "But, it's really not that easy. If it were just me…no problem. But, there's Dawn to consider in all of this. I…I can't leave her here on her own."

"Do you want me to move to Rome?" He asked, taking the lathered sponge from her and gently rubbing it over her shoulders and breasts.

She swallowed, shaking her head as he tenderly washed her abdomen. "You wouldn't be happy in Rome, Giles."

"I'll be happy if I'm with you…wherever we are." He countered as he looked into her eyes.

Buffy took the sponge from him and lightly scrubbed it over his chest, smiling as his nipples hardened. Her smile suddenly faded and she looked up at him.

"God, what am I going to tell Dawn?"

Running his fingers through her wet hair, he exhaled slowly. "Do you mean about the baby?"

"About the baby…about us…" She redirected her attention to the sponge now moving over the top of his left thigh. "Us probably won't be a big surprise to her…but, the baby…"

He arched an eyebrow at her as she moved the sponge over his abdomen. "She suspects something happened between us?"

"Yeah, I think so." Buffy responded absently, her eyes staring at his slowly hardening cock. "She kept asking all kinds of questions when I got back…probably didn't help that I wasn't giving her straight answers. Dear God, Giles…do you always get this hard this many times?"

He grinned as he shook his head. "Not in years. Must be the way you look at me."

She met his eyes as her fingers wrapped around the thick shaft. "And how do I look at you?"

"Your love is there…open and bright…for me to see. You're not hiding it…it's as if…you're proud of it." He answered seriously.

"I am." She stated matter-of-factly as she carefully moved him out from under the spray of water and knelt in front of him.

"Buffy…" He swallowed, watching the water cascade down her back as she ran her tongue along the underside of the hard shaft. "You…you don't…"

Her eyes sparkled as she gazed up at him. "I want to taste you again…"

Before he could say anything, she took him into her mouth. He leaned against the shower wall and ran the fingers of his left hand through her hair.

"Dear Lord…Buffy…"

"Mm?"

He shuddered as she sucked harder, her smile showing clearly in her eyes. "Not…not long…"

"Mm-hm." She murmured, gently scraping her teeth along his flesh in the way she had learned that he liked. She smiled inwardly as his fingers tightened in her hair and his hips thrust gently against her.

He groaned loudly, his head resting against the wall as her soft hand cupped his scrotum and gently squeezed. "Jesus, Buffy!"

She dropped her hand quickly and moved back, pulling her mouth from his straining cock. "I'm sorry! Did I – "

"Do it again…" He gasped, staring into her eyes as his hand wrapped around his erection. "God…do it again."

She smiled as she moved back forward, licking his knuckles before flicking her tongue against the heavy sac. "What if…I suck them while you jerk off?"

His eyes widened as he nodded, beginning to slowly stroke the hard flesh in his hand. "Yes…oh yes…"

Before he could say anything else, she had drawn one of his testicles into her mouth, sucking hard before nibbling at the flesh covering it. She grabbed his hips, holding him against the wall as he groaned. His hand quickened its pace, tightening and relaxing in just the right moments of each stroke to push him closer to orgasm.

"Oh, Buffy…love…"

She smiled inwardly, giving the other testicle equal attention. She heard his gasp, felt his muscles tense, heard him call her name…and then felt the now familiar tremble as he neared orgasm.

She moved quickly, placing her mouth over the head of his cock as he continued to stroke himself. Her right hand squeezed his scrotum with just the right amount of pressure. He screamed in ecstasy, gripping her shoulder with his free hand as he came in her mouth.

She swallowed hungrily, continuing to bathe the sensitive flesh with her tongue after his hand had stopped moving. He looked down at her and cradled her face between both of his hands.

"Buffy…come here…"

She stood quickly, leaning against his chest as his mouth covered hers. His tongue swept into her mouth, tasting his come on her tongue.

As he started to move to the shower floor, she shook her head. "No, Giles…that was just for you."

He looked at her curiously. "Just for me?"

"Mm-hm…how many times have you made me come with your mouth today?"

He arched an eyebrow. "This isn't a system of checks and balances, Buffy. I'm not keeping score…"

"I know…but, I just wanted to do this for you." She cleared her throat and gave him a small smile. "Besides…um…I'm a little sore at the moment…"

When she saw the panic flicker in his eyes, she shook her head quickly. "Don't, Giles. It's definitely a good kind of sore…the kind of sore I hope I feel very often for a very long time…"

A smile slowly appeared on his lips as she quickly rinsed off in the cooling water. When she reached to pull him under the spray, she noticed the smile.

She shook her head in amusement. "Make you feel all manly to know that you satisfied me to the point of soreness?"

"Hm?" He shivered as the now cold spray hit his body.

"The smile." She responded as she turned the tap off. "Is that due to the fact that I said I was a little sore?"

"Oh…" He chuckled softly as he pushed the curtain open and stepped out onto the bathmat. "No…"

She raised an eyebrow at him as he helped her out of the tub. "Then why are you smiling?"

He cleared his throat and grabbed a towel, quickly drying her body before she caught a chill. "You, uh…you said 'a very long time'."

She nodded and grabbed another towel, drying the water from his skin before wrapping her hand around the back of his neck and pulling him down. "Yeah…I hope that's okay with you."

"I think I can live with that." He whispered moments before their mouths met.

* * *

A couple of hours later, they were sitting on the couch in the living room. Dawn occupied the chair across from them. Buffy looked slightly nervous and Giles looked very much like a deer caught in the headlights as Dawn stared at them in disbelief, her mouth dropping open.

The fact that they had declared their love for one another in front of her hadn't shocked her. The fact that Buffy had followed that with 'and you're going to be an aunt in about six and a half months' was what was to blame for her current state.

"You're pregnant?"

Buffy nodded slowly and bit her lip. "I know that it's a bit of a shock…"

"When? I mean…you're like two…" Her eyes widened further. "Oh! Oh, you two fu…um…you were together when you went to London? That's why you wouldn't give me a straight answer!"

Giles swallowed and rubbed the back of Buffy's hand with this thumb. "It, uh…it was a confusing time, Dawn."

Dawn regarded him closely for a minute. "That's why you came to Rome. You came to Rome because Buffy's pregnant with your baby!"

"No, I…I didn't know until last night." Giles admitted softly.

Dawn furrowed her brow and turned her stare to Buffy. "Okay, I can understand why you wouldn't tell me. But…why not tell Giles?"

"Dawnie…"

Dawn shook her head quickly. "No, don't 'Dawnie' me! Why wouldn't you tell him?"

Buffy sighed heavily. "Like Giles said…it was a confusing time."

Dawn snorted and leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms over her chest. "What…were you both drunk and just ended up in bed together?"

When Buffy's eyes widened and Giles dropped his gaze to the floor, Dawn sat forward quickly. "Oh my God! You got drunk and slept together?"

"It, uh…was a little more complicated than that." Giles offered softly.

"Oh…my…God!"

Buffy glanced at Giles and, seeing the skin above his collar begin to turn a dark shade of red, shook her head. "Dawn, please…"

Dawn grinned. "So…how many times has this happened?"

"Before today?" Buffy answered without thinking.

At the same time, Giles shook his head slowly. "Dawn…"

Dawn sobered at the obvious pain in Giles' eyes when he finally looked at her. "Did you love her then?"

"I've loved Buffy for years, Dawn."

Dawn bit her lip and glanced at Buffy. "For as long as she's loved you?"

"What?" Buffy asked in a shocked tone.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "My room was next to yours…the walls weren't all that thick, you know. Especially when I was trying to listen. I'm pretty sure you only moan someone's name like you moaned his if you're having dreams about – "

"Okay! Um…so, anyway…" Buffy interrupted, causing Dawn to laugh.

"So, what happens now?"

Giles laced his fingers with Buffy's and took a deep breath. "I'd like for both of you to move to England."

Dawn narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "But, I like Rome…I like my school…and there's Tomasso…and…you can't just come here and say 'I love your sister, we're having a baby, move to England'!"

"Dawn!" Buffy snapped.

Giles gently squeezed her hand. "No, she's right, Buffy. That's not exactly what I'm saying, Dawn. I'd like for you and Buffy to move to England, but if you're opposed to that idea…I can move to Rome."

Dawn's mouth dropped open again. "You'd move to Rome? You hate Rome. That's what you said when we moved here. 'Must you pick this godforsaken town? Rome, of all places.' That's what you said…"

"I want a life with Buffy…and I want to be a father to our child. If I need to move to Rome in order to have that…I'll do so." He glanced at Buffy and gave her a warm smile before looking back to Dawn.

"I'm in love with Buffy, Dawn. This isn't some illicit affair. But, I don't want to cause you harm by asking you to move. If Rome is that important to you, then this is where I'll be."

"Are you going to marry her?" Dawn blurted out.

"Um…well, we haven't…"

Buffy chuckled softly. "It's a little early to be talking marriage, Dawn…even for us. I love him, he loves me…that should be enough for now. Maybe later, we'll talk about marriage. But, right now…it's not necessary."

Dawn exhaled deeply and stood up. "I need to think about this."

And with that, she quickly made her way to her room. As the door closed behind her, Giles sighed.

"Well, that went better than I expected."

Buffy chuckled softly and rested her head against his shoulder.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buffy knocked on Dawn's door before opening it. She stuck her head into the room and offered her sister a small smile.

"Okay if I come in?"

Dawn sighed and shrugged a shoulder as she leaned back against the headboard of her bed. "I guess."

Buffy bit her lip and walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She sat on the edge of the bed and met Dawn's eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"You mean, am I okay with you and Giles being together and having a baby? Yeah…that doesn't bother me."

Buffy exhaled slowly. "That's good to know, but that's not what I meant. Talk to me, Dawnie."

Dawn thought for a moment and then took a deep breath. "I love Rome. This is the first place I've been where I actually feel like I could stay forever."

"Tomasso?" Buffy questioned softly, surprise showing in her eyes when Dawn laughed.

"Tomasso's not really 'forever' guy. Don't get me wrong, he's a great guy…but, you know as well as I do that he's not _the_ guy." Dawn shook her head slowly. "I don't know how to explain it…I get up in the morning and go down to the café for a coffee before classes and…everyone knows me. And it doesn't matter whose sister I am. To these people, I'm just Dawn Summers."

Buffy nodded in understanding, smiling as Dawn continued.

"And it rains all the time in England."

"Giles says it doesn't rain _all the time_, just 'often'." Buffy grew serious for a moment, leaning forward and placing her hand on Dawn's knee. "He was serious, you know. About moving to Rome."

"He hates Rome." Dawn countered quickly, then tilted her head thoughtfully. "But…he loves you more than he hates Rome, doesn't he?"

Buffy smiled softly. "I hope so."

Dawn ran her hand through her long, brown hair and sighed. "He's your forever guy, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is. He was right, Dawn…this isn't an affair or just comfort. I'm in love with him. This isn't how I expected we'd get together…actually, I never expected we'd get together…"

Dawn smiled and shook her head. "The wonders of alcohol…"

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "Alcohol is bad, Dawn. More bad things happen under the influence than good."

Dawn rolled her eyes good naturedly. "I don't need the 'don't drink' speech, Buffy. But…while we're at it…haven't either of you ever heard of condoms?"

Buffy cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "Giles is the first person I've been with that I didn't use them."

"What about him? I mean…I doubt he's been Mr. Abstinence all these years."

"His sex life is really none of your business, Dawn." Buffy stated in a firm tone. "But, we have discussed it…and he said that he always uses protection…"

"Except this time." Dawn interrupted softly. "Was he trying to get you pregnant?"

"No. Neither of us were trying…" Buffy sighed deeply and lowered her eyes. "We both just wanted to feel. And…I think we both thought it would be the only chance we'd have."

"Okay, I think that was a little too much information…" Dawn spoke quickly. "I don't want to know everything that you guys get up to."

Buffy gave her a crooked smile. "Look, I'm not saying that we're moving. But, I am asking you to think about it."

"I am, Buffy. I promise. But, I can't just say 'yeah, let's move to England' this very second."

Buffy chuckled as she stood up. "I'd be worried if you could."

As she watched her sister walk towards the door, Dawn bit her lip. "Buffy?"

Buffy turned, her hand on the doorknob, and met her sister's eyes. "Yeah?"

"Last night…he said that he said something 'thoughtlessly' and that you got angry and left." She leaned forward, bending her legs and wrapping her arms around her knees. "What did he say?"

"He asked if the baby was his."

Dawn's eyes widened. "Wow. And you didn't hit him?"

Buffy grinned. "That's why I left. I understand _now_ why he asked that…it wasn't that he didn't think it was his, it was more that he couldn't believe he's going to be a father."

"But…he's happy about it? The baby…he wants it?"

Buffy nodded slowly, her warm smile reaching her eyes. "Yeah, he does."

Dawn said nothing else as Buffy opened the door and walked out of the room. As the door closed, Dawn tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling.

She had a lot of thinking to do.

* * *

Giles looked up as Buffy walked back into the living room. "Is she alright?"

Buffy nodded, sitting down next to Giles on the couch and snuggling up to him. "Yeah, she just has a lot to think about."

He wrapped his arm around her and held her tightly against him. "Well, it's a good sign that she's thinking about it."

"Mm-hm." She smiled as she felt his left hand move to her stomach, his fingers gently rubbing her abdomen. "What are you doing?"

He cleared his throat as she looked up at him. "I can't seem to stop touching you…believing that we've created a new life…"

"She asked if you really wanted this baby." She quickly placed two fingers over his lips as he started to speak. "If she saw you right now…she wouldn't have had to ask."

He kissed her fingers as they slipped from his lips. "I love you so very much, Buffy. You and our child. I didn't think it would be possible for me to feel this strongly about something so quickly. I…I'm not explaining this very well. I…"

She interrupted him with a soft kiss. "Within seconds of the doctor telling me that I was pregnant, I loved this baby more than I'd ever loved anything. I understand what you're trying to say. It's kinda hard to put into words."

Something Ethan had said to him months earlier crept into his mind. Trailing his fingers down the side of her face, he took a deep breath.

"I'd give my life for you, Buffy. For you and our child. Not because it's my duty as your Watcher, but I'd do it out of love for you." Seeing her eyes glisten, he swallowed and kissed her softly. "I…well, I just thought you should know that."

Before she could answer, his eyes darted towards the hallway. He lowered his hand and gave a slight nod.

"Dawn…"

Dawn smiled as she walked into the room, glancing at Buffy before meeting Giles' eyes. "I think you promised me that you'd take us out to dinner tonight."

"I did." He answered quietly.

"Okay, so I know this little restaurant not far from here…really good food." She took a deep breath and looked at Buffy. "And then I was wondering if you might be able to drop me off at Tomasso's house on the way home."

Buffy narrowed her eyes slightly. "Um…"

"He deserves to hear that I'm moving to another country from me in person…not over the phone. And…I'd rather tell him tonight."

Giles' smile grew as he stood. "Dawn, are you sure?"

She nodded as she made her way to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm positive. But, you better have told Buffy the truth."

He pulled back and gently tilted her head upwards so that he could look into her eyes. "I love her, Dawn. More than I've ever loved anyone before."

"Yeah, I know that." Dawn chuckled. "I meant about it not raining in England all of the time."

Giles' smile turned into a grin. "It doesn't rain all of the time. Some days are rather pleasant."

Buffy smiled and pulled Dawn into a tight hug. "Thank you."

"I just want you to be happy. And…I think I can be happy in England too." Dawn whispered as she returned the hug.

* * *

Giles glanced at the couch as he followed Buffy into the apartment. Dinner had been a wonderful affair, filled with stories and laughter. He felt more at peace at this moment than he had in years…if ever.

"Giles?"

He looked at her quickly. "Hm?"

"You were off in deep thought land again." She said, amusement in her voice. "I asked if you were ready for bed."

His eyes darkened a shade as he took her hand. "I, uh…I don't think I'm sleepy."

A slow grin appeared on her lips as she backed towards the hall, pulling him with her. "I asked if you were ready for bed. I didn't ask if you were ready to go to sleep."

He took a deep breath as he nodded. "In that case, yes. Yes, I believe I'm ready for bed."

She chuckled softly and pulled him into the bedroom, closing the door behind them. When she started to unbutton her blouse, he lifted his hand and quickly covered hers.

"Please, Buffy…allow me?" When she tilted her head in a silent question, he smiled and pulled a button free. "It's just…it's been so rushed before. I…I'd like to take my time and undress you properly."

She returned his smile, moving her right hand to the back of his neck and pulling him down as he unbuttoned the second and third buttons.

"I love you, Rupert Giles." She whispered as she brushed her lips across his.

He deepened the kiss quickly, refusing to relinquish her lips as his fingers completed their task of unbuttoning her blouse. She lowered her arms from around his neck long enough to let him push the blouse off her shoulders. As it fell to the floor, she pulled his tie free, softly groaning into his mouth as his tongue lovingly caressed hers.

He shrugged his jacket off as her fingers quickly worked on his shirt buttons. He began walking forward, his hands roaming lightly over her back as he guided her towards the bed. By the time the backs of her knees hit the side of the bed, his shirt was sliding down his arms.

He shook the shirt off as she unbuckled his belt. His fingers pulled the zipper on her skirt down as he slowly broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. He could hear the soft whish of the silk sliding down her legs as she unbuttoned and unzipped his trousers. Gazing into her eyes, he removed his shoes and socks one at a time before allowing her to push his pants down over his hips.

"Christ, I love you, Buffy." He whispered, the emotion thick in his voice as she stepped out of her shoes.

He kicked the trousers to the side and carefully laid her across the bed, resting his right knee between her thighs as he leaned over and reignited the kiss. As the kiss grew more urgent, the rest of their clothing disappeared.

As his mouth placed burning kisses over her skin, she realized that she wanted more. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, she wanted to give him as many children as he wanted, she wanted to give him everything.

As he pulled her clitoris into his mouth, she groaned his name. As his tongue teased her relentlessly, her thoughts subsided and she gave way to pleasure.

She could tell him about her thoughts later. Right now…all she wanted was to feel and to make him feel.

* * *

Dawn smiled as she quietly walked into the darkened apartment. Her talk with Tomasso had gone surprisingly well. They both realized that they were better as friends than lovers and he had wished her well, promising to stay in touch.

She paused outside of Buffy's room and narrowed her eyes, listening. Her eyes widened when she heard them both softly moan one another's name. She listened for another moment, quickly deciding it was time for her to go to her room when she heard Buffy beg Giles for more…to make her come again.

Her cheeks burned as she ran to her room and closed the door. Hopefully, the walls in Giles' house were thicker than the ones here.

She changed quickly and jumped into bed, pulling the pillow over her head to drown out Buffy's cries of ecstasy.


	6. Chapter 6

Two days later, Giles followed Buffy and Dawn onto the plane. As Buffy glanced towards the first class section, he lowered his lips to her ear and whispered softly.

"One of these days, we will fly first class. I had thought about it for this trip..."

She looked up at him and smiled warmly. "It's a three hour flight, Giles. It would've been a bit ridiculous to pay for first class tickets."

Giles returned her smile, chuckling as Dawn announced dibs on the window seat. He stood in the aisle, his legs pressed against the armrest of his seat as he carefully lifted their carry-on luggage into the storage area above the seats.

Buffy took the middle seat, rolling her eyes as Dawn began to chatter as she stared out the window. She turned as Giles lowered himself into the seat next to her and placed her hand on his thigh.

He cleared his throat and quickly placed his hand over hers when her fingers moved over the inside seam of his jeans. "Buffy…"

She met his eyes and sighed wistfully. "Part of me really wishes that this flight was longer than three hours."

Lacing their fingers together and resting their hands on top of his thigh, he tilted his head in a silent question. She grinned and motioned towards an incessantly chatting Dawn.

"Four hours and she'd be asleep. She'll stop talking as soon as we take off, but she won't go to sleep on a flight that's under four hours."

"Oh…" He answered softly, his brow furrowing in uncertainty.

She chuckled and leaned towards him, lowering her voice to a whisper only he could hear. "If she was asleep…we could…do things. If you wanted to, I mean."

He inhaled sharply, darting his eyes to Dawn before swallowing. "Buffy…"

Grinning, she watched him shift in his seat before she gently placed a blanket on his lap. "At least the thought appeals to you."

He squeezed her hand before releasing it and, after moving the blanket into a more comfortable position, reached for a magazine in the pocket of the seat in front of him. "More than you can imagine, love."

She gave him a wink and rested her head against his upper arm, closing her eyes as he flipped through the magazine and Dawn kept up with her chatter. As the plane began to taxi, Dawn took a deep breath and continued to stare out the window, her chatter coming to an abrupt end.

Giles sighed softly and kissed the top of Buffy's head. When she didn't react, he looked down and smiled to find that she had drifted off to sleep. He chuckled and shook his head, carefully replacing the magazine into the seat in front of him before resting his head against the back of his own seat.

* * *

After they had loaded their luggage onto two separate trolleys, Giles led Buffy and Dawn through the busy airport. Giles couldn't help but smile at the conversation going on behind him.

"Why can't I push it?"

Buffy snorted. "Because I've seen how you drive a shopping cart."

"Well, I've seen how you drive a car." Dawn countered quickly.

"Yeah and cars and carts are so much alike, Dawn."

Giles chuckled and glanced over his shoulder at them. "Are you two going to bicker the entire ride home?"

Buffy grinned brightly at him. "Probably."

Dawn surveyed her surroundings and shook her head. "I always forget how huge this airport is."

"One of the busiest airports in the world." Giles stated proudly as he made his way through the doors.

"Aren't we getting a taxi?" Buffy asked as Giles started towards the carpark.

"No. I drove myself to the airport, with Willow and Ethan following closely behind. My car is over there…somewhere." He stated, gesturing towards the sea of cars in the parking lot.

Dawn laughed heartily. "Somewhere?"

Giles grinned and pulled his keys out of his pocket. "Huge airport, huge carpark. I have a vague idea of where it is...I, uh…I was in somewhat of a hurry when I left."

Buffy smiled adoringly at him. "Were you?"

Licking his lips, he gave her a small nod. "Add to that the fact that I wasn't exactly thinking clearly…"

She glanced past him and smiled. "There it is."

"So it is." He whispered softly as he followed her.

Dawn chuckled as she brought up the rear. Xander was going to love this turn in their relationship.

* * *

Dawn had insisted on calling Willow on the drive to Giles' house. Buffy had wanted to listen to Dawn's side of the conversation, but found that she was having a difficult time concentrating. Giles' voice singing softly along with the music on the radio…along with his fingers tracing indistinct shapes on her thigh…made concentrating on anything else nearly impossible.

Dawn ended the call just as Giles turned onto his street. "Willow and Ethan are coming over in a little while."

Buffy shook her head slowly. "That's something I'm still not used to hearing."

"What's that, love?" Giles asked softly.

"Willow and Ethan. I mean…how does that work?"

Giles offered her a tender smile. "Much like Buffy and Giles. It just…does. I'm not even sure how it came to be. I knew they were spending a fair amount of time together discussing magick and addiction…and the next thing I knew, Ethan was standing in front of me telling me that he was fairly certain that he had fallen in love with her."

Buffy looked at him curiously. "And you didn't question it?"

He pulled into the driveway and shook his head as he killed the engine. "Who am I to question love? At least he didn't wait years before he told her."

Buffy lifted her hand and caressed the side of his face as she leaned into him. "At least you finally told me."

Dawn rolled her eyes as they kissed. "Okay, someone hand me the keys and I'll start taking the bags in."

Giles chuckled as he broke the kiss, pulling the keys from the ignition. "Perhaps this should wait until later…"

Buffy sighed as she opened the car door and climbed out, turning her eyes to her sister. "And why did I insist on you coming with us?"

Dawn grinned as Giles opened the trunk and began unloading their luggage. "Just make sure that my room is as far away from yours as possible."

Giles blushed heavily and tossed the keys to Dawn. "If you'd be so kind as to unlock the door?"

As Dawn ran off towards the front door, Buffy moved closer to Giles. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

He tilted his head slightly and looked into her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Us…the baby…Dawn living here." She sighed heavily. "I mean…you know what a mess I can make. Dawn puts me to shame. And then there's the fact that we've pretty much started a family before we had our first date and – "

He cut her off quickly with a kiss, his arms moving around her as he slowly deepened the kiss. When he felt her fingers comb through his hair, he relinquished her lips and sighed.

"I want nothing more, Buffy."

Looking into his eyes, she saw his sincerity and smiled in relief. "Good…because I'm pretty sure this is the happiest I've ever been in my life."

He returned her smile before gently rubbing her abdomen. "Come on, let's get these bags inside and I'll make some tea."

"I like it when you do that." She whispered.

"What? Make tea? I do that rather often."

"No." She shook her head and swallowed as her eyes glistened. "When you touch the baby. I like it when you touch the baby."

"I remember hearing something one time about a child recognizing its parents' touch while still in the womb. I…I want our child to know my touch…my voice." He sighed softly, brushing a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "I want our child to know that I love him or her."

She leaned into his touch and he smiled.

"And in response to your earlier question. Yes, I'm sure that I'm ready for this. I'm ready for us, I'm ready to deal with whatever messes you and Dawn make…and I'm ready for this baby, Buffy. You're right in saying that we've started a family before we've even had a date, but…this baby was conceived in love."

He bit his lip nervously and ran his fingers over the slight swell of her abdomen. Most people wouldn't suspect that she was pregnant, but the people who truly knew her…who loved her…they would know. Had she been wearing something similar to what she was wearing now instead of the baggy jeans and sweatshirt she'd been wearing when he had arrived at her apartment in Rome, he would've known instantly.

"When should we tell people?" He asked softly.

She took a deep breath and answered in a tone that stated she was just as nervous as he was. "Willow will know as soon as she sees me."

He met her eyes and offered her a gentle smile. "I was thinking the very same thing."

She started walking up the path towards the house, sliding her hand into his as she looked up at him. "You okay with telling them tonight?"

He nodded silently, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. There was a question that she'd been wanting to ask for a couple of days and she figured that she might as well ask now.

"Giles?"

"Hm?"

"Do you want a boy or a girl?"

He smiled lovingly at her as they climbed the stairs to the porch. "Yes."

She furrowed her brow in confusion for a moment and then smiled in relief. "So…it doesn't matter to you?"

"Health is most important to me, Buffy. And as long as you and the baby are both healthy…I'm happy."

She stopped at the front door, unconsciously tightening her grip on Giles' hand. He grimaced and dropped the bag he was carrying.

"Buffy!"

Realizing what she'd done, she let go of his hand and quickly apologized. He shook his head and looked into her eyes, his filling with concern.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She answered quickly and then lowered her voice. "It's stupid."

"I highly doubt it's stupid." He answered quietly. "Please…tell me what's wrong."

She exhaled deeply and gestured at the door. "The last time I walked through your front door…I was trying to figure out a way to tell you I love you. The best I could come up with was saying that English people are weird and then pretty much sexually assaulting you."

He gave her an understanding smile. "That was the last time. This time…we're walking in together, knowing that we love each other…and I'm rather sure that I didn't mind the sexual assault."

She rolled her eyes as he said the last part with a wolfish grin. "Giles…"

He bent down and kissed her softly. "Seriously now, Buffy. We both know what that was about. Granted, we didn't then…but, we do now. And that is the important thing. We were both in love and clueless as to how to express it to one another. Clueless…and afraid."

He licked his lips and gently pushed her over the threshold. "I'm not afraid anymore, Buffy. I know what I want…and I know how to say what I want."

She glanced down and smiled when she noticed the growing bulge in his jeans. "Want to tell me what you want at this very moment?"

"Yes…" He hissed as his eyes darkened.

He kicked the door closed and moved quickly, forgetting about the luggage for the moment. Pushing her back against the wall, he groaned and lowered his mouth to hers. As Buffy began tugging his shirt out of the waistband of his jeans, he thrust his tongue into her mouth.

"Hey, Gi…" Dawn stopped mid word and spun around quickly.

Giles mentally cursed himself for having forgotten that Dawn was anywhere around. He blushed deeply as he stepped away from Buffy and ran his hand through his hair.

"Um…"

Dawn shook her head, still facing away from them, her smile heard in her voice. "No, no…it's okay. Um…I was going to ask if you wanted tea, but…"

"Dawn." He spoke softly.

She turned back towards him and allowed her smile to be seen. "Pretty obvious that it's not tea you want right now. And that's cool. Um…maybe I'll just get a train into town…have a look around for a while. I mean, if that's okay with you guys."

"I, uh…of course, it's alright. But, Dawn…this is your home as well as mine and Buffy's. I'll endeavour to be more careful in the future. I'm sorry if I've embarrassed you."

Dawn grinned and glanced at her sister. "You didn't embarrass me, Giles. Kinda took me by surprise, but I'm not embarrassed. In a way…I think it's kinda sweet."

Buffy raised an eyebrow, causing Dawn to chuckle. "Well, not sweet in that I almost saw more of you two than I ever want to see. But, sweet in the way that…you guys really love each other. So, I'm going to give you some time alone…maybe call Xander and see if he wants to meet me in the city…"

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked cautiously.

Dawn grinned and walked over, kissing Buffy's cheek. "I'm positive. Have fun."

She laughed and placed a quick kiss on Giles' cheek as his face flushed again. As he slowly met her eyes, her laughter ebbed and she smiled warmly.

"I'm really happy that you two finally came to your senses."

Giles gave her a shy smile. "Thank you."

Dawn glanced at the clock as she turned and grabbed her purse. "Okay, it's almost two…if I call Will and tell them to come over around six, will that give you enough time?"

Giles' eyes widened and his blush deepened even more as Buffy answered for them with a grin.

"Just."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mere minutes after Dawn left, Giles pulled Buffy into his bedroom…now, their bedroom. The interruption obviously hadn't lessened his desire for her. He grinned at Buffy when she voiced that very thought.

It didn't take them long to divest one another of their clothing. And as Giles pushed Buffy onto the bed and leaned over her, she returned his grin and bent her legs, resting her knees against his sides.

"Too excited for foreplay too?"

He paused and looked into her eyes. "God, I'm sorry. I – "

She interrupted him quickly as she slid her hands over his shoulders. "Didn't you get that I said 'too'?"

He smiled as her nails lightly scratched the back of his neck as she continued.

"I want you, Giles. Right now. I really don't think I could handle foreplay at the moment. Besides…I think we had enough mental foreplay on the plane, don't you?"

"I think I nearly came once or twice during the flight." He admitted as he slowly pushed his hips forward, sliding his erection into her. "Just thinking about how you feel…in my arms, beneath me, on top of me…Christ, Buffy…I love you."

She returned the sentiment on a strangled whisper, pulling him down for a kiss as she lifted her hips to meet his.

* * *

Dawn grinned when she saw Xander running towards her as she walked out of the station. She laughed as he picked her up and swung her around.

"Xander!"

He chuckled, placing her back on the ground and shrugged a shoulder. "I've missed you. Came down here as soon as I got off the phone with you. Why didn't Buffy come?"

She didn't hesitate in her answer, figuring he'd find out soon enough anyway. Besides, she _had_ to see his reaction.

"Oh, she and Giles are having sex."

His mouth dropped open as he stared at her. "With each other?"

"Yep." She looped her arm through his and looked down the street. "So…where do you want to go?"

"Huh?" Xander shook his head. "Wait, Dawn…Buffy and Giles are having sex…and you seem to be perfectly fine with that."

"Well, that _is_ why Buffy and I moved to England." Dawn replied as she started walking, pulling him with her.

"You moved to England so they could have sex?"

She laughed and shook her head. "No…we moved to England because they're in love and they want a life together. And…I haven't seen Buffy this happy in ages…or ever."

Xander furrowed his brow. "But…they've been in love with each other for years. Why now?"

Dawn sighed, wondering how much she should tell him. She knew she didn't want to tell him the big news…that was for Buffy and Giles to tell.

"Do you remember a few months ago when Buffy came to see Giles after we found out about what happened in L.A.?"

"I wasn't in England then. Willow told me that Buffy had been here though."

Dawn bit her lip and glanced at a pub on the corner of the street. "Come on, let's have a drink and sit down for a bit."

Xander raised an eyebrow, but followed her into the pub. After grabbing a small table in the corner and ordering a couple of pints, Xander took a deep breath.

"Okay. Tell me."

Dawn smiled and took a sip of the lager. "Buffy came to see how Giles was doing. They ended up at a pub for a few drinks…apparently they got pretty drunk."

Xander swallowed a mouthful of beer and slowly lowered his glass to the table. "Buffy and Giles got drunk together?"

"Mm-hm." Dawn nodded slowly. "Which apparently led to drunken sex at Giles' house."

Xander's eyes widened, causing Dawn to realize for the first time what a good job the Coven had done repairing his injured eye.

"So drunken sex leads to declarations of love?"

"No…drunken sex led to sober sex the following night. But, Buffy…being the idiot she can be…told him that sometimes sex between friends happens, but it doesn't mean anything has to change."

"What?"

Dawn sighed and ran her finger through the condensation on the glass. "She didn't mean it, Xander. But, she thought that Giles thought it was just sex. So she was giving him an out."

Xander licked his lips and looked down into his glass. "That explains why Giles has been a little depressed since I got here."

"For Giles to show a _little_ depression, he must've been _really_ depressed."

"Yeah." He answered softly before meeting her eyes again. "So…how did this happen?"

Knowing he meant the admission of their true feelings and the move from Rome, she smiled. "Giles showed up on our doorstep and told her that he loved her…and that it had never been just sex to him."

Xander nodded, regarding Dawn carefully. "And…how are you about all of this?"

A bright smile appeared on Dawn's face. "Like you said…they've been in love with each other for years. The only people it seemed to surprise were Buffy and Giles. They're so happy, Xander."

"Yeah, I get that. But…" He sighed softly and reached out, placing his hand over hers. "You really like Rome."

Dawn nodded and glanced at their joined hands. "Yeah, I do. But…London has some nice qualities too."

Xander smiled, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before taking another sip of his beer.

* * *

Buffy moaned as Giles sat up, pulling her right nipple into his mouth as she continued to move on top of him. He lightly bit the hardened nub before wrapping his arms around her, splaying his hands across her back as he moved his mouth to cover hers.

Her fingers weaved through his sweat-dampened hair as their tongues met in a passionate kiss. She tore her mouth from his when she felt her orgasm quickly build.

"God…Giles!"

He quickly rolled their bodies until he was once again kneeling between her thighs. His eyes were drawn to her breasts, pink and swollen from his touches and kisses. They bounced in rhythm with his thrusts, which were becoming harder and shorter as her moans grew louder.

The sheets were soaked with a combination of their sweat and the fluids from her two earlier orgasms. He could hear the wet slap of each thrust over her groans and his own grunts and growls as he struggled to hold on for just a while longer.

Her nails dug into his sides as she wrapped her legs around his waist, her hips bucking against him. She screamed his name as she came again, her hot juices flooding over his thickening cock once more.

As her inner muscles rippled against him, her name left his lips on a cry of ecstasy. His eyes clenched shut as he lost his struggle and came deep within her. He gasped for breath as her legs fell back to the mattress, his thrusts slowing until he came to a complete halt.

Her trembling fingers rubbed soothingly over the half-moon marks on his sides, her chest heaving as he smiled softly down at her. Carefully moving to her side, he pulled her into his arms and brushed his lips across hers.

"I'm sure I've never heard anything as enticing as you screaming my name in passion."

She laughed gently and lovingly rubbed his chest. "I could say the same, you know. Probably with fewer words…"

His hand found its way to her abdomen, as it did quite often now. He licked his dry lips when he noticed the small divot between her eyes that signified deep thought.

"What is it, love?"

She sighed softly and rolled onto her back, grimacing as her bare skin touched the cool wet spot on the sheet. "Nothing, really. I was just thinking that…well, I just wish our baby had been conceived like this."

"Buffy…"

"Do you think it happened the first night or the second?"

He shifted over and pulled her to a drier part of the bed and shook his head. "I'm sure I have no idea. Though I must admit that my preference would be that it happened when we were sober…and making love."

"Instead of being drunk and fucking." Buffy added with a small smile. "But…the first night has its pro as well."

"Oh? Just one?" He questioned as his fingers continued to stroke the slight swell.

She placed her hand on his, her fingers rubbing the back of his hand as she chuckled softly. "The first night…you held me all night. When I woke up…I was still in your arms."

He swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. "Please know that I didn't want you to leave this bed the second night."

"I do now." She whispered, her eyes beginning to glisten. "I just kept wishing that you'd come into my room…"

"I wanted to." He lifted his hand to the side of her face, his thumb brushing over her cheek. "I even made it to your door once."

"I should never have said what I did about friends having sex." She whispered as she leaned into his touch.

"How were you to know, Buffy? It's not as if I disagreed with you."

She bit her lip and looked into his eyes. "But…I saw the hurt in your eyes. Only for a second, but it was there. And then I talked myself into believing it was just my imagination."

He sighed softly and kissed her lips warmly. "We can't change what happened, Buffy. We were both too afraid to show our true feelings at the time. The important thing is…we have now."

"I can't remember a time when I didn't love you, Giles." She whispered, her palm resting against his cheek.

He turned his head just enough to press a kiss into her palm. "Nor can I."

She glanced at the clock on his bedside table and groaned. "How did that happen?"

He followed her eyes and smiled when he read the time as 5:12. "Well, they do say that time flies when you're having fun." He looked down at her, his eyes darting to her lips. "And…I was definitely having fun."

She chuckled, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck and drawing his mouth back to hers.

* * *

Xander looked down at Dawn as she leaned against the wall. All of the seats were taken on the train, so they were forced to stand. Xander was used to it. In fact, he could only remember finding a seat once.

"So…how many hearts did you break when you left Rome?"

Dawn laughed and shook her head. "None. I was seeing a guy, Tomasso. But, he took the news really well. Probably because Gianni was there having a drink."

Xander raised an eyebrow. "Gianni?"

"Mm-hm. Tomasso is a really sweet guy, fun to be around, great sense of humour. But…I think he might be a little gay."

Xander laughed good-naturedly. At that moment, a largish man bumped into him on his way to the door. The sudden movement caught Xander off-balance and pushed him forward but Dawn was able to grab the front of his shirt to steady him before he fell right into her.

Their eyes met and Xander offered a softly whispered 'thanks' as he regained his balance. Dawn nodded and blushed lightly, swallowing nervously as her hands slowly released his shirt.

"No problem."

Xander took a deep breath as Dawn turned her eyes to the window. He had a feeling that things could very well become a little more complicated than he thought.


	7. Chapter 7

Buffy smiled nervously as she walked into the living room. Giles returned her smile and stood up from the couch. They had decided to take separate showers, knowing that if they didn't they'd never be ready by six.

"You look beautiful."

She raised an eyebrow and looked down at what she was wearing. "Um…I'm just wearing jeans and a normal, everyday shirt."

He nodded in agreement and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's not what you wear that makes you beautiful, Buffy."

Her face flushed pink and she lowered her eyes. "I like it when you wear jeans. You look so…relaxed."

Placing two fingers under her chin, he gently tilted her face towards him. "I don't think I've been this relaxed in years. Well, not without the help of alcohol or…"

Her eyes widened, a grin appearing on her lips, as he trailed off. "Or?"

He blushed lightly and chuckled. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now…tell me more about this 'or'. Anything I can partake in as well?"

He cleared his throat as he shook his head and moved his hand over her stomach. "Not for a few months yet."

"And…why didn't I know that my Watcher has a tendency to smoke something other than cigarettes?"

He licked his lips as she slid her arms over his shoulders. "It isn't really a tendency and more of a rarity. Does that, uh…bother you?"

"As long as you're not a complete pothead who's going to smoke away our life savings and ignore me and our child because you're too busy out in the garage with a bong…"

He laughed heartily, the corners of his eyes crinkling as his laughter grew. "I highly doubt that would ever be an issue, Buffy."

She smiled brightly at him in reply. "Then I'm not bothered. And…do you have any idea how gorgeous you are when you laugh like that?"

His laughter quietened, but the smile remained. "It's because of you that I'm able to laugh like this."

Before she could reply, the front door opened. Dawn walked into the living room and smiled, Xander following a few steps behind.

"Hey, guys."

They both turned towards Dawn, Buffy's smile growing when she saw Xander. She pulled out of Giles' arms and ran to Xander, grinning madly.

"Xander!"

Xander grinned as Buffy wrapped her arms around him. "Hey, Buff. It's good to have you home."

Xander glanced at a very happy-looking Giles and smiled. "And…I'm really glad that you two finally decided to be honest about your feelings."

Buffy kissed his cheek and then moved back to Giles' side. "This isn't really going to be a surprise to anyone, is it?"

Xander chuckled and shook his head. "No, sorry. We've all known for years."

He glanced at her abdomen, his brow furrowing slightly. He didn't remember Buffy having a tiny pot belly. But…it had been a while since he'd seen her and people did change. Take him, for instance. The last time Buffy had seen him, he'd been wearing an eyepatch.

He sighed softly and darted his eyes between the two. "I'm really happy for you both."

"Thank you." Giles responded quietly, giving Dawn an inquiring look.

Dawn gave a small shake of her head to let him know that she hadn't told Xander anything else. He offered her a grateful smile and then looked up when he heard Ethan's familiar voice.

"Well, well, well…I see Ripper was able to nab 'imself a Slayer."

Giles grinned as Buffy shook her head. "No. Giles came to Rome…"

"And brought Buffy home with me." Giles finished for her, before quickly adding something else when Dawn gave him a mock-glare. "And, Dawn too…of course."

"Only I'm not sleeping with him." Dawn stated unnecessarily, causing everyone to laugh and Giles to blush heavily.

When Buffy turned to Giles to give him a hug, Willow gasped loudly.

"Oh my God, you're pregnant!"

"Open bag, hello cat." Buffy muttered softly as she took a deep breath.

Ethan raised an eyebrow at Giles. "Well, considering that neither one of you are denying Willow's exclamation, I suppose congratulations are in order?"

A shy smile appeared on Giles' lips. Xander cleared his throat as Willow ran to Buffy and hugged her tightly.

"So, this is why you went to Rome?"

Giles glanced at Ethan, who was smirking at him, and shook his head. "I went to Rome to tell Buffy how I feel about her. I, uh…I didn't know she was pregnant."

Xander bit his lip, glancing around the room before looking into Giles' eyes. "I want to be happy about this, really I do, but I need to know…did you ask her to come back with you because she's pregnant?"

Giles felt a sudden rush of affection for the young man, not to mention pride for his obvious growth into adulthood and ever-present loyalty to Buffy. "No. I'm in love with her, Xander. I understand that you only have her best interests at heart, but I would have asked her to come back with me even if she weren't carrying my child."

Ethan regarded his friend carefully, tilting his head towards the kitchen in a silent request to talk privately. Giles gave him a nod and then leaned down, brushing his lips across Buffy's.

"Try not to name our child while I'm out of the room?"

As Willow laughed, Buffy nodded and returned his kiss, allowing her lips to linger a little longer on his. "Try not to let Ethan talk you out of this?"

Giles smiled, letting his fingers brush over her abdomen. "I'll be back soon."

Before he was able to leave the room, Willow was already suggesting baby names. Xander offered Giles a warm smile, letting him know that they had his support. Giles thought for a brief moment and then made his way to Xander.

He pulled Xander into a hug, lowering his voice to a whisper only Xander could hear. "Tell her how you feel, Xander. Don't waste time like I did."

With that said, he released the young man and followed Ethan into the kitchen. Xander swallowed and looked at Dawn, offering her a shy smile. Her dark eyes sparkled as she gestured to the couch. He took a deep breath and gave her a nod.

Giles was right. He shouldn't waste time.

* * *

Giles walked into the kitchen to find Ethan leaning against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest and a smug smile on his face.

"So…a baby."

Giles smiled and nodded. "Not exactly how I had planned to start a family…"

"But you're happy." Ethan finished for him.

"I'm happy." He agreed, his eyes shining brightly.

Ethan grinned as he looked into Giles' eyes. "So, tell me how you fell to your knees and asked her to marry you when she told you."

Giles cleared his throat and opened the refrigerator, pulling out two bottles of beer and handing one to Ethan.

"Actually…I asked if the baby was mine and she walked out."

Ethan was busy twisting the lid off his bottle. At his friend's statement, he stopped and stared incredulously at Giles. "You did what?"

"I…was caught off-guard. I said the first thing that entered my mind. And I didn't mean it how I said it…"

"Do you have any doubts that this child is yours?"

"None." He answered with no hesitation.

Ethan took a deep breath, his concern showing in his eyes. "Rupert…do you normally have unprotected sex?"

"No. In fact, never in the past twenty years." He took a sip of his beer and swallowed. "At least…not until I brought Buffy home and took her to my bed."

Ethan thought to himself, nodding before he drank nearly a third of his beer in one swallow. "Want to know if it's a boy or a girl?"

When Giles narrowed his eyes in confusion, Ethan shrugged. "I know a spell."

"Of course you do." Giles responded with a chuckle. "However, I think that Buffy and I would prefer to be surprised."

"If you change your mind…"

Giles nodded and glanced towards the living room as he took a drink from the bottle in his hand. "I'll keep it in mind."

Ethan watched him, shaking his head in amusement when Giles smiled as Buffy's laughter rang out. "Are you going to marry her?"

Giles snapped his eyes back to Ethan. "It's a little early to be considering serious thoughts about marriage, don't you think?"

"Depends on your definition of 'early', I suppose." Ethan smirked. "Some people would consider having sex which results in an unplanned pregnancy before admitting that you love someone a little 'early'."

Giles started to argue, then sighed heavily knowing that Ethan was right. "Point taken, Ethan."

Ethan finished off his beer and tossed the bottle into the bin. "I'm happy for you, Rupert."

Giles smiled, but before he could respond, Ethan continued.

"But part of me wants to knock the shit out of you."

Giles furrowed his brow. "Um…why?"

Ethan gave a melodramatic sigh and pushed off the counter. "Because now Willow's going to start talking about children. As in…having them."

"Are you opposed to the idea?" Giles asked before finishing his beer.

Ethan stopped at the doorway and looked over his shoulder with a smile on his face. "I didn't exactly say that, did I?"

A look of surprise graced Giles' features. "If you aren't opposed, then why knock the shit out of me?"

Ethan's smile grew. "Because I wanted to be the one to bring it up."

"My, my, how things change." Giles said with a smile.

Ethan's eyes sparkled as he glanced into the living room. "You have no idea, Rip."

* * *

Willow looked into Ethan's eyes as he sat down beside of her on the couch. "Hey, you. What have you been doing?"

Ethan chuckled and kissed her cheek. "Having a beer with Rupert."

Buffy smiled and stood up, gesturing to the chair. "Sit down…"

"Buffy…" Giles started as he shook his head.

She rolled her eyes and gently pushed him into the chair before settling herself sideways on his lap and kissing his jaw. "See? Sits two perfectly."

"Or three." He whispered as he draped his arm over her thighs.

Looking around the room, he narrowed his eyes. "Where are Dawn and Xander?"

"Oh, they went to pick up dinner." Willow supplied quickly, playfully jabbing her finger into Ethan's ribs. "Ordered a seafood laksa for you."

"Thank you." Ethan answered with a warm smile.

Buffy took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. "Okay…spill it, Will. How did you end up with Ethan?"

"I don't know." She answered honestly as Ethan placed an arm around her. "We were spending a lot of time together…you know, magick stuff. And then one day…I really looked at him and saw more than what he used to let us see."

"You have a soul?" Buffy asked Ethan, a grin on her face.

Giles snorted a laugh while Ethan pretended to look offended.

Buffy gave Willow a wink before addressing Ethan again. "You make her happy, Ethan. It's been a long time since I've seen her this happy. Don't fuck it up."

Ethan gave her a small nod and smiled. "I've changed a lot since you saw me last, Buffy."

"I should hope so." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh…and I'm not sure I've said this before, but…you ever change my honey into a demon again, it's you I'm coming after with a not-silver letter opener."

When Ethan chuckled, Willow did her best to change the subject.

"What about Leonie?"

Giles stared at her in confusion. "Who is Leonie?"

Buffy rubbed his chest and smiled. "Baby names."

Giles sighed heavily and shook his head, but they could all see the large smile on his face.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

_Six Months Later…_

Time progressed quickly and Giles found it hard to believe that Buffy would probably be giving birth at any time now. He chuckled softly, sitting in their bed with his back resting against the headboard and a demonology text open across his thighs as Buffy slept soundly next to him. There were a lot of things that Giles found hard to believe lately.

Not long after Buffy and Dawn had moved to England, Ethan had proposed to Willow. According to Willow, it had been very romantic. Buffy had scoffed disbelievingly. Giles, however, had merely smiled…he knew that there was a romantic side to Ethan, even if Ethan desperately tried to deny it.

Willow accepted, of course. The wedding was only two months away now. When Giles had asked Ethan about the prospect of having children, Ethan had grinned and stated that they weren't actively trying for a baby…but they weren't exactly doing anything to prevent a pregnancy either.

Giles closed the book and placed it on his bedside table, smiling at Buffy as she shifted uncomfortably in her sleep. He glanced at the dresser, his eyes instantly finding the picture of Buffy, Xander, and Willow that always found a special place of display wherever Buffy was living.

Xander…

Giles smiled to himself and took a deep breath. Xander had taken Giles' advice and not wasted time. Within two months of moving into Giles' house with him and her sister, Dawn had moved out and into a two bedroom flat with Xander. They had made no secret of the fact that only one of the bedrooms would be used as such.

They seemed quite happy together and Giles was glad that Dawn wasn't as forthcoming about certain aspects of a relationship with Xander as Anya had been. He knew that their relationship had turned sexual very early, but was very happy not to have a running commentary.

Just this morning, Xander had asked Giles' permission to propose to Dawn. When Giles had responded that Xander didn't need his permission, Xander had smiled and said that he was the closest thing to a father that Dawn had.

"Giles?"

He looked down at Buffy, smiling when he found her tired eyes gazing up at him. "What is it, love?"

"Can you talk to the baby?"

His smile grew as he slid down to the mattress and placed his hand on her very swollen abdomen. "Everything okay?"

She sighed and then grimaced. "I think he's trying to see how far he can stretch my ribcage. And…I think he's inherited your height."

He chuckled softly and tenderly kissed her lips. During her fifth month of pregnancy, they had decided to learn the sex of their child. With Ethan's help, they were able to accurately determine that the baby was indeed a boy…just like Buffy had said over a month earlier. It had taken them nearly three months to decide on a name.

Well, that wasn't entirely correct. They had decided what they would call him. As for his full, proper name…that debate was still going on.

He moved down her body and kissed her stomach, his voice soft and soothing as he spoke. "You should be asleep, Leo. If you keep this behaviour up, your mum will never agree to have a brother or sister for you in a couple of years."

He looked up, his smile shining in his eyes, when Buffy snorted.

"It seems as though I may already need to do a lot of convincing to have your mum agree." He continued with a smile, his hand gently rubbing the spot where the baby had just kicked. "I do hope I'm successful in that venture…"

Buffy raised an eyebrow at him, relaxing as the baby calmed his movements. "You want another baby? We haven't even had this one yet."

Giles chuckled and kissed her stomach again before moving back to her side, resting his head on his pillow. "I didn't mean immediately, Buffy."

"Well, that's good 'cause I'm probably not going to let you near me for a few years after I have this one." She replied with a broad grin.

He grinned back, sliding his hand up to cup a swollen, tender breast. She sighed softly at his gentle touch.

"You know that you have an obsession with these, right?" She asked, gesturing towards her breasts before running her fingers through his hair above his ear.

"I prefer to think of it as a healthy appreciation." He replied, his fingers lightly stroking the side of her breast.

"Whatever." Buffy said with a small laugh. "They're not always going to be this big…"

He looked into her eyes and exhaled slowly. "It isn't the size that attracts me, Buffy."

"No?" She questioned, carefully rolling onto her side to face him.

"No. I'm not sure I can even explain it, but…it's a confirmation of the fact that we're having a child…"

She barked out a laugh, draping her arm over his side. "As if the huge stomach isn't enough confirmation for you?"

"Your body is preparing itself for our child's appearance…" He continued, pointedly ignoring her question. "Filling you with the nourishment needed for his sustenance."

She furrowed her brow as she stared at him. "You say the strangest things sometimes."

"How do you mean?" He asked, genuinely confused at her statement.

"You're saying that you get turned on because my boobs are filling up with milk to feed our son…"

"I hardly said that it turns me on…"

She moved her hand between their bodies and ran her fingers along his erection, causing him to groan softly. "You were saying?"

"The heft of your breasts is not the reason for my current state, darling."

"The heft of my…" She rolled her eyes as she slipped her fingers under the waistband of his pajama pants. "See? That's a weird thing to say. And if that's not the reason, what is?"

He swallowed thickly, his eyes darkening as her fingers lightly stroked his hard flesh. "You…you are the reason, Buffy."

She smiled, curling her fingers around the warm shaft. "You say weird things, but you also say really sweet – " Her smile suddenly contorted into a grimace, her hand tightening on his erection. "Shit!"

"Buffy!" He groaned in pain.

She inhaled sharply, gritting her teeth as the pain slowly eased off. "Jesus…"

He carefully pried her fingers loose from his now softening cock. "Buffy…what is it?"

"Um…labour, I think…"

His eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

She stared at him, taking slow and deep breaths. "No, I'm not sure. I've never been in labour before…but, it hurt like fucking hell!"

He clambered out of bed, shooting her a glare when she snorted a laugh as he tripped over a shoe.

* * *

Ethan wiped the sweat from his brow as he reached over to grab his phone from the bedside table. It had signalled an incoming text message a while ago…but, he'd been too busy to look at it then. He smiled as Willow snuggled up next to him and then opened the message.

His eyes narrowed as he read the short message that asked him to call Giles. As he sat up and quickly scrolled through the contact list on his phone, Willow looked up at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Message said to call Rupert, but it wasn't from his, or Buffy's, phone."

Willow pushed herself up, wrapping the sheet around her as she sat next to him. She started to say something, but stopped when Ethan started talking.

"Rupert? Is everything okay? I received a message from – " He paused when Giles interrupted him with a soft chuckle.

"Everything's fine, Ethan. I just asked the midwife to send you a message…"

"Midwife?" He glanced at Willow to find her eyes wide. "Why would the midwife send me a message?"

"Because we were on the phone with Dawn and Xander…but, I wanted to get a message to you. It doesn't make much sense now, but at the time it did."

"Rupert…"

"Leo has arrived. He's a little over an hour old…and as beautiful as his mother." Giles stated softly. "We wanted you and Willow to know."

Ethan smiled brightly and met Willow's eyes. "Buffy's had the baby. A boy…Leo."

Willow's eyes glistened happily. "And Buffy?"

Hearing Willow's question through the phone, Giles chuckled again. "Buffy is doing well. Though, she's seemingly very angry with me at the moment."

Ethan relayed the message to Willow, who wanted to know when they could come see Buffy and the baby. Ethan heard Buffy's muffled voice over the line and smiled.

"How about we come by when visiting hours start? Give you two a chance to rest and such?"

Ethan frowned when Giles softly whispered 'that would be fine' in a distracted tone. "Rupert, is everything really okay?"

"I…yes, yes everything's fine, honestly. I'm just having a hard time actually believing that I'm a father…that this perfect little boy is…" Giles sighed heavily. "I'm finding that I'm very emotional at the moment. It's all overwhelming…and I'd have it no other way."

Ethan's smile returned. "You're going to be a wonderful father, Rupert."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now…I'm sure that Buffy has a fairly large bed in her birthing suite, yes?"

Giles chuckled softly. "Yes."

"So…go lie down with her. Hold her, tell her how much you love her. Her anger will dissipate fairly quickly, I'm sure…as it's not true anger to begin with." Ethan's fingers absently ran up and down the smooth skin of Willow's thigh. "And…does Master Leo have a middle name?"

Giles snorted a laugh. "At the moment, no. That is still under debate…however we do have it narrowed down to three choices."

" 'Ethan' one of those?"

Giles laughed heartily. "Goodnight, Ethan. We'll see you in the morning."

Ethan laughed with him. "Yeah, mate. And…congratulations. Pass that along to Buffy for us, yeah?"

"Will do." Giles answered quietly before ending the call.

Ethan chuckled in amusement as he placed his phone back onto the bedside table. He slid back down on the mattress, pulling Willow with him.

"Everything okay?" Willow asked softly, concern in her voice.

"First time father jitters, I would imagine." He whispered as he leaned over and tenderly kissed her. "Something I hope to experience soon."

She smiled lovingly and ran her fingers through his damp hair.

* * *

Buffy exhaled slowly as Giles carefully climbed into the bed beside of her, their newborn child sleeping peacefully in her arms. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek as his large fingers caressed the baby's head.

"God…he's so beautiful, Giles." She whispered, not taking her eyes off of their baby.

"Yes, he is." Giles sighed happily, his index finger gently stroking the child's cheek.

Buffy turned her eyes to his and smiled. "Elijah."

"Elijah? Was that even on the list?"

She shook her head, carefully passing the sleeping baby to his father. "No…but, I was thinking about Mom…and what a wonderful grandmother she would've been. And…I'd kinda like for him to be named after her…as close as we can get anyway."

Giles leaned down and kissed Leo's forehead. He had known that Joyce's middle name was Elyse, it wasn't a huge leap that he had to take to get to the name Elijah.

"Leo Elijah Giles…"

"It sounds nice, doesn't it?" She asked quietly, her heart warming as she watched Giles beam proudly as he gazed at his son.

"It does." He slowly met her eyes and took a deep breath. "Nearly as nice as Buffy Anne Giles."

She inhaled sharply, her eyes widening. "What?"

He carefully balanced his son in his right arm as he reached into the front left pocket of his jeans. Clearing his throat as he pulled the ring from his pocket, he licked his suddenly dry lips.

"I've come so close to asking this question so many times in the past few months. It just…seems right now."

"Giles…"

"Buffy, will you marry me?"

A single tear escaped the corner of her left eye and rolled down her cheek. "Yes."

He smiled, the simplicity of his proposal and her acceptance causing his smile to grow. Very few things in their lives were simple. But, when it came to their love…it wasn't all that complicated anymore.

He slipped the diamond band onto her left ring finger and brushed his lips across hers.

* * *

_One month later…_

Buffy pulled the light blanket up over her sleeping son and carefully tucked him in. She marvelled at the fact that he was such a good sleeper. Within a couple of weeks, Leo had settled into a routine that suited everyone…waking only once or twice during the night for a feed.

She leaned over the side of the crib and kissed his forehead before whispering 'I love you' and turning the baby monitor on. She stole one last look at him before closing the door, sighing happily as the light from the hallway cast a soft glow on his sleeping form.

She made her way back to the bedroom that she had shared with Giles for the past seven months, smiling to find him sitting up in bed…his back against the headboard, a book held in his large hands.

He looked up from the book and smiled softly. "I trust that he's still asleep?"

"Yeah…" She answered as she climbed onto the bed, pulling the book from his hands and placing it next to them before straddling his thighs. "I think we got lucky with him…the first month hasn't been anything like I'd read in the books."

Removing his glasses and placing them on the bedside table, he chuckled. "I think that they put the worst-case scenarios in those books." As her hands rubbed his chest, he raised an eyebrow. "And…how are you feeling, love?"

"Never better. Having Slayer healing definitely comes in handy after childbirth." She grinned as she moved forward and felt him harden beneath her. "How are _you_ feeling?"

He slid his hands up her thighs, his fingers edging under the hem of her nightgown. "Suddenly very awake."

"Good." She whispered, lowering her mouth to his as she moved her hands over his shoulders.

Their mouths opened nearly immediately, tongues searching for one another as Giles' hands pushed the nightgown up above her hips. He wasn't exactly surprised to find that she was wearing nothing underneath the sheer silk. He also wasn't exactly surprised when his cock hardened even more as she rocked her warm core against him.

He groaned into her mouth as her warmth seeped through his pajama pants. As his hands tightened on her hips, she broke the kiss and stared into his darkened eyes.

"God, I want you."

He inhaled shakily as his hands guided her movements above him. "Are you sure that you're ready?"

She nodded, closing her eyes in pleasure as his pajama-covered erection pressed into her wet folds. "So beyond ready…please, Giles…"

He reignited the kiss, sliding his tongue along hers as he pushed the nightgown up her body. He broke the kiss long enough to pull it over her head and drop it to the side, leaving her completely nude on top of him.

As his lips captured hers again, he rolled her onto her back and knelt between her thighs. He nibbled at her bottom lip as her hands stroked their way down his sides, pausing for a brief second when they brushed the waistband of his pajamas.

He supported most of his weight on his left arm, his right hand gently caressing a still-enlarged breast as his tongue dipped back into her mouth. She groaned into his mouth, pushing his pants down over his hips.

He released her mouth, moving his hand from her breast down to his erection. He gazed into her eyes as he guided his hardened flesh to her entrance. Bending her legs and resting her knees against his sides, she whispered her love for him as he nudged the head inside.

"I love you too, Buffy." He whispered with conviction as he pushed his hips forward, groaning as her wet heat enveloped him. "My God…"

After ensuring that she was indeed alright, he began a slow rhythm, relishing her soft cries and moans of delight as he pushed her towards orgasm. As her hands moved over his heated skin, he realized that he had never been happier.

His life was nearly perfect…a loving relationship, a beautiful son, wonderful friends who were more family than friends…

He groaned softly as he felt the coolness of her ring against his back. A smile formed on his face as their eyes met and locked with one another, hips rising and falling together in perfect unison.

They had set the date for their wedding. In three weeks, she'd legally change her name from Summers to Giles. And then his life would be completely perfect.

He closed his eyes as he felt her inner walls clench around him, signalling her first orgasm of the night. For now…feeling her body move beneath him, her arms wrapped around him, her hands stroking his back as he made love to her…he had never felt more complete.

At that moment, he realized that his life already _was_ completely perfect. They didn't need a piece of paper to tell them how perfect their lives together were. And as she cried out his name as her fluids gushed over his thrusting erection, he made a promise to himself to tell her that very thing…but later.

Much later.

 

~ End


End file.
